Ruling You
by magicXheart
Summary: Money rules the world...and the Marauders have most of it. The four boys rule the school, terrorizing anyone who offends them. So what happens when Lily, the scholarship student, fights back? And when James focuses all of his attention on her?
1. The Stimulant

**I based this off of Hana Yori Dango, aka Meteor Garden. The characters will be a little AU, just a warning. **

**The Stimulant**

James frowned with irritation. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to stare at Sirius. "What is that inane noise?"

Sirius turned from right to left, scenting the air in a dog-like behavior. He casually raised one hand and pointed to a smallish girl hiding behind a tree.

"I believe that she's the culprit." Sirius leaned back against the tree. His right arm rested on his knee. "You think the stalker girls would have learned better by now."

James twisted his mouth into a mocking grin. "Yeah, you think they would have…. Peter!"

The short teenager in front of them raised himself into a crouch. "Yeah, Prongs."

"Get rid of her." Peter nodded in return to James's cold order.

He stood up and unhurriedly strolled towards the girl. The girl's face was one of delight as one of the Marauders walked towards her. Even if it was just Peter, it was still on of _them_. Her giggling increased with every step that Peter took. She began to squeal as he took her hand. Her squeal quickly changed to a yell as she realized why he had taken her hand. Her face broke out in boils. She fell backwards onto the ground, desperately attempting to shield her face. One of her hands clearly had the words Marauders tattooed on it with red ink. Peter didn't even stop to look at her as she scuttled away. He just turned around and rejoined his friends.

"You've gotten better," Sirius complimented. He scanned the grounds again before turning to James. "I think the grounds are clear, O Cranky One."

"They're getting more annoying each year," James answered. "God, I can not stand those idiotic girls. You think they would have learned by now." He rested his head on the bark of the tree, trying to fall back asleep.

Remus looked up from the book he had been reading. "Just wait till the ball three weeks from now, they'll be swarming us then." He ran one hand through his already bedraggled hair and smiled, excited at the possibility.

James gave up on sleeping and reached for the bottle of scotch in front of him. "Joy," he said sarcastically.

Remus laughed as he grabbed the bottle from James. "If you would just get a girlfriend, or five, they would all leave you alone."

"Yeah, that tactic always works so well for you and Peter." He seized the bottle and took a swig before throwing it back.

"I'll give you that one," Peter replied. "But we are _so_ much friendlier than you."

Remus chuckled at the understatement. He offered the scotch around one more time. When the others shook their heads, he dropped it into his bag. He rose into a standing position and waited for the rest to join him. They walked back towards the castle, laughing as Remus narrated something that had happened over break.

From twenty yards away Lily scowled. So Diane was not the nicest person, or smartest, or most pleasant, but she didn't deserve that. The Marauders thought they were _so _special just because their parents were rich. And the teachers let them get away with everything because their parents supported the school. It wasn't fair. They were so freaking spoiled. She ground her teeth and stomped off towards class.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked. She looked concerned for her friend. Lily had started muttering to herself. The only word Kai could identify was spoiled. Lily gestured towards the Marauders' backs. Kai groaned and ran her hand through her jet-black hair.

"What did they do this time?" In answer Lily just pointed towards Diane. She was now surrounded by her equally superficial friends, giggling over how cool it was that a Marauder had touched her. "Forget about it," Kai advised, "they already have. How was your summer, anyways? I forgot to ask you earlier."

Lily had spent the summer working odd jobs, trying to earn enough money to help her family out. Petunia needed some money to pay for her wedding, so Lily had to help out.

"It was alright," she replied. "How was yours?"

Kai launched into an exciting story about her trip to Rome. She promised to show Lily the pictures later. Lily plastered a smile on her face. Everyone here was so rich. That also made for extremely pretty. Even Kai was gorgeous. She had long black hair to go with her oriental features. The exotic thing worked for her, as did the fact she barely weighed 110 pounds at five foot seven. Lily listened to her Kai babble until they reached the classroom.

"What have you heard about our new teacher?" Lily asked. She looked the new DADA teacher up and down. He was about twenty-two and looked it. He had spiky black hair and a runner's body.

"Lily, that's Justin Cooper!"

"Who?" Lily asked, obviously confused.

Kai laughed at Lily's expression. "He was a scholarship student when he attended Hogwarts. Five years ago."

Lily's mouth slowly formed into a long O. "So we know him?" It was a question.

Kai laughed again as she answered. "Yes, Lily. We know him. He came back to teach. You know how hard it is for Dumbledore to hold onto a DADA teacher."

"The curse," Lily answered automatically, lost in thought. "So he was another scholarship student?"

"Looking for someone smart like you?" Kai teased.

_More like poor _Lily thought. "Just wondering," she answered absentmindedly. She dropped her bag on the seat nearest her, leaving Kai to sit down next to her. As she sat down, Justin, Professor Cooper, looked at her. Lily was startled to realize that they had almost the exact same shade of eyes.

* * *

James jumped off his broom and faced his team. "Good work you guys. We need to train harder this year to beat those Slytherin scum, but I think we'll go all the way this year! Again!" The other six members of the team cheered. James yelled over them, "This time, two days from now." He walked back towards the changing room, letting them talk without their captain around.

"You know, that was almost nice, Prongs," Sirius teased as he and Remus walked up towards James. "People might think you're going soft."

"Me? Never." James replied. "I just want to prove that we can beat anyone. We still on for tonight."

"Obviously," Remus answered. He clicked his finger and the first year trailing them ran up and handed Remus a piece of paper. He took it and waved the boy back. He retreated dutifully and started walking behind them.

"I was wondering why that guy was following you. A slave, huh," James mused. "I think I want one."

"What? The bodyguards your mom used to have stalk you weren't enough?"

"They wouldn't carry my bag for me," James complained. "So I had to get rid of them."

By this time they had reached the changing rooms. Remus clicked his fingers and the first year raced forward to open the door. They strolled in still talking. The first year obediently stood outside and waited for them.

"Oh," Sirius suddenly remembered. He handed James the paper that he had been carrying. "Peter bought all of the stuff for us. Remus 'talked' to the teachers, so now no one will be in the main room until morning."

James nodded. He pulled his Quidditch robe over his head. "The new teacher too?"

"You mean Justin? He's not new. He was here in our second year."

James pulled his shirt over his head. "Really? Why don't I remember him?"

"He was that scholarship student," Sirius replied. "He was always getting picked on. Especially by my older relatives."

James shrugged and put his legs into his pants. "Anyway, did you talk to him?" James asked Remus.

Remus shook his head. "He won't be on guard duty tonight, so it shouldn't be any problem. Besides its not like he'll do anything if he catches us." He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. An arrogant smirk crossed his face. "He knows who we are. After all, he went to school with us."

James tied his shoes and stood up. "Whatever."

Sirius laughed and walked back out the door. "Come on. We're late. We still have to ignore our homework and do nothing."

James laughed at his friend. "You mean you have to. I have to sleep."

Sirius shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy."

* * *

Lily rubbed her eyes and lazily stood up. She surveyed the dormitory common room. There were a few second years playing Wizard's Chess in the corner. The annual panic attack of the first years was occurring in the first years. A few random people were loitering about, doing homework or some equally mundane thing. The majority of the Gryffindors had already gone down to eat breakfast. Next to her, Kai stood up as well.

"What do we have today?" Lily asked her.

Kai reached down and pulled out her schedule. "Looks like Transfiguration with McGonagall, then DADA again with Cooper, lunch, then round off the day with double Potions."

Lily grinned. "Defense against the dark arts two days in a row?"

Kai grinned back. "This is going to be good year."

Lily pretended to look shocked. "Kai Green, slumming? Your parents would be shocked."

Kai grin turned wicked. "I don't plan to marry scholarship boy, just have fun."

Lily reached down and shouldered her pack. She adjusted her frayed robes and stood back up. "Let's go to breakfast," she suggested.

Kai held up her hand, "Hold up. I forgot my bracelet." Lily stomped her foot impatiently as her friend ran back to their room. A minute later Kai was back in front of her. "Fasten this for me?" she requested. Lily struggled with the clasp on the diamond bracelet. She noticed teardrop earrings on Kai that matched it.

"Beautiful," Lily complimented.

Kai touched one earring. "They were a gift from a hopeful suitor." She linked arms with Lily, causing her to laugh. "This guy has been the worst one so far. The first time I met him, he was holding a flute of champagne. He tripped on nothing and poured the entire thing on me."

Lily burst out laughing. They exited the dormitory. Kai continuing her spiel on her horrible suitor. It took them down the main staircase. "Stefan, the suitor, was rich obviously. So my mom sends him an invitation for dinner. It was monogrammed and all that. It says casual. Now everyone knows that casual, meet the parents, dinners are always really fancy. Stefan, however, shows up in blue jeans and a dress shirt. My mom was in a dress that cost a thousand pounds."

Lily grinned. She turned to look at Kai's amused face. She had met Mrs. Green just once. Mrs. Green had been so offended that Kai was friends with someone who worked for a living. Her face had gone all prim and pointed. It had taken an obvious effort for her to attempt to be civil. Kai had quickly rushed her mother into a store and left her there.

"My mom was still hopeful, though," Kai went on. All of a sudden Lily went flying into the air. She fell flat on her face, groaning. She carefully picked her self up, frowning when she saw her books had scattered everywhere.

"Finally where you belong," Crystal noted. She sneered in Lily's general direction and readjusted the ruby and diamond pin in her hair.

Lily quickly realized what had happened. "I'm glad to know that you can cast a tripping jinx properly. That only took you, what, seven years to learn?" She started collecting her books, turning her back to Crystal.

Crystal was the exact opposite of Lily. She was the fifth richest person in this school, right behind the Marauders. And since that wasn't enough, she was also an only child. She had been incredibly spoiled her entire life. She had had enough plastic surgeries to make her stunning. Her school robe probably cost more than all of Lily's outfits and possessions combined. Lately the guys had been flocking her. Whoever married her would inherit her fortune. Crystal ignored Lily's comment. She turned to face May, the girl beside her.

"Did I show you my new purse. My dad bought it for me last week. It is by a new promising designer." She looked pointedly at Lily's tattered robes. She pivoted and walked towards the main hall. Her two flunkies followed her.

Five seconds after she was gone, Kai bent down and started helping Lily. She picked up the last lone book and handed it to her.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," she simpered. Her face was bright red with embarrassment. "Its just that Crystal is connected with everybody. If I even think about mouthing off to her, she'll badmouth me. And then no one will talk to me. My mother would kill me."

She looked at Lily with a mortified expression, begging her to understand. Her family was rich, to a point. Kai's mother was set on her marrying someone with more wealth, thus the suitor, Stefan.

Lily shrugged it off. She could fight her own battles. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Spoiled rich kids have pretty much stopped bothering me. Did you hear her mom tried to push her on James this summer?"

Kai broke into a smile at the thought. "They deserve each other."

"Wicked thought."

"I know," Kai answered. "Give credit where credit is due, though. James Potter is hot!" Lily smiled in acknowledgment to the point. Kai pushed the door to the Great Hall open. Her jaw dropped. "And ingenious!" she yelped.

Lily's mouth began to form a question till she looked at what was in the Great Hall. It was entirely red and gold. Everything in it had been changed colors. Streamers and goo had been added everywhere. Confetti was falling from the ceiling, sill red and gold, of course. Since the ground was entirely covered in that strange goo, everyone was sliding back and forth. A few people were sitting on the ground entirely covered in it. Others were attempting to ice skate on it. The teachers were staring at it with displeased expressions on their face. Lily could tell they wanted to say about it, but they knew who had committed the crime. And those four were the only ones they couldn't cross. Their jobs depended on it. No one would cross the Marauders.

The males in question were sitting in the only goo-free place in the Great Hall. They were acting as though nothing had happened. James calmly took a sip of his drink when Justin, the new teacher, shot him a glare. Justin finally realized that James wouldn't acknowledge the challenge and looked away. He knew too much about James to think that it was because Potter was afraid of him. James just didn't care. Justin had never been able to present a significant threat to James and he knew it. James would only fight people who he considered worthy of his time.

Sirius scanned the rest of the teacher's faces. "Slughorn looks pissed."

Remus didn't look like the information surprised him. He took a precise bite of his toast and considered it. "Slytherin house was never going to like this." Remus continued chewing the breakfast in front of him.

Peter watched another person slide across the goo, ending with a spectacular fall. He readjusted his shirt in a careless gesture. "I am so bored already," he complained.

Sirius had a glint in his eye. "Just one more week before you get to have some fun, Wormtail."

"Live it up," Remus snapped.

James snapped out of the trance he was in. "That's right. I had forgotten." He warily glanced around, confident that Sirius's newfound slave wouldn't overhear. "I want to go to the mountains this time. I wanted to see what sledding would be like."

"With your antlers?" Sirius scoffed. "We can give it a shot. I'll pull the sleds around."

James nodded. That was the answer he had expected to get. He tilted his head in the first-year's direction. The boy was fidgeting from one foot to the other. "What?" Remus raised his voice.

The boy heard the irritation and cringed. "It's just, I have to go to class, Mister." He went back to fidgeting.

Remus waved his hand and the boy ran off in the opposite direction.

Sirius shook his head and turned back to James. "Are you sure that something else wouldn't be more fun? I've always wanted to see what we could find in the dead center of the Forbidden Forest. We've gotten too distracted to get that far in the past."

"Maybe," James shrugged. His eyes suddenly narrowed in anger. The other three guys followed his gaze. Two girls were approaching them, much braver than Diane had been the day before.

"Excuse me," the younger girl said. James looked at them with obvious scorn. The girl addressing him seemed oblivious. "My friend and I were wondering if you and Sirius would like to come to Hogsmeade with us this weekend."

Sirius just shook his head, not even bothering to talk to the girl.

"I'm not going," James lied. Both he and the girl knew he was lying. James hoped she would get it and walk away.

"Maybe the week after then?"

James lost his patience. He pulled out his wand and flicked it. The girl went flying backwards. The goo on the floor caused her to slip. He stood up, aggravated. "You coming?" he asked the others calmly. They quickly jumped up to follow him. James walked past the girl on the floor, who was now crying. He didn't even spare her a glance.

"James, would it really kill you to be nice to a girl?" Remus groaned as they walked out. He shook his head. The girl had even been kind of pretty.

James didn't answer that. He just kept walking.

* * *

Lily swung her bag onto the floor. She sat down next to Kai, grateful that her friend was taking the majority of Lily's NEWT level courses.

"Potions," Lily groaned.

"Slughorn," Kai replied with an equal level of enthusiasm.

Lily looked up at the portly man approaching her. "Hello, Miss Evans," he greeted her.

"Hello Professor. How was your summer?" Lily sucked up. She needed all of the O's that she could get and even though this class was one of the easiest, being teacher's favorite had never hurt.

"Delightful. Thank you for asking. I noticed you didn't come to my compartment on the train. I'm having a small party next Saturday evening. Would you like to come?" Slughorn looked hopeful.

Lily sighed on the inside. Going to 'Slug Club' was the one thing she would not do for a grade. "No thanks, professor. I have too much homework already. Maybe next time." She said that every time. She was kind of surprised that he hadn't gotten the hint by now.

"Certainly, Miss Evans." He excused himself and walked to the front of the classroom. He proceeded to give the class instructions on their first potion of the semester. Lily cast a look over at Snape. He was her only real competition in this class. She swore she would beat him this year.

Lily and Kai got to work on their potions. Lily gave Kai some instructions and helpful hints on the process. Halfway through slicing some roots, Kai looked up in surprise.

"Look who's here," she said.

Lily glanced up. "The Marauders. Joy."

And she had been foolish enough to assume they weren't taking potions this year. The four boys strode over to the empty table right in front of Lily and Kai. Slughorn didn't comment on their tardiness. Neither did he comment on the fact that they were all wearing pants and shirts, not the required school robes. They just looked at the board and began to work on their potions. Lily knew they would still be among the best, even with their less than dedicated performance. Remus would fix Peter's potion for him. Again, Slughorn would just give him the O that Lily had to work so hard for.

"Lily?" Kai said with some concern. Her cauldron was bubbling over.

Lily jumped in shock. "Kai, how many snake skins did you add?"

"Twelve," Kai answered hesitantly.

"It says one-half," Lily answered in a panicked tone. "Your potion is now capable of severely harming anyone it lands on." Kai's face paled. "Don't worry. I have a potion that can counteract it in my bag."

She leaned down and dug through her bag on the floor. Thirty seconds later she triumphantly pulled out a vial with clear liquid in it. She stood up quickly, wanting to add it as soon as possible.

The events after that happened rapidly. Lily's head banged into the heavy table. The table itself tilted dangerously. That was just enough of a stimulant to cause it the already bubbling potion to spill over the edge of the cauldron. It mixed with the ingredients sitting on the table. Apparently, it mixed with the wrong one.

The potion bubbled even more, thickening. The bubbles got bigger and bigger, until one burst. The potion sprayed forward, covering the two people working directly in front of them. James Potter and Sirius Black.

They both turned to stare at Lily and Kai. "Whose potion was that!?" James roared.

**A/N**

So the characters are going to be a little OC, but they didn't fit into the story in their original version. The core of Hogwarts is the same. But most people are very, very rich. Lily is the only one with a job, ever. All four Marauders are very rich and stand to inherit after their parents. And of course, they are mean and annoying, but only for the moment.

Credit goes to Rider Arya Svit-kona for being a wonderful beta. Everyone give her props.

Other than that, thanks for reading my to everyone who reviews. You can pick the type. Tell me if you hate it, love it, different ideas for a title (cuz i can't get a perfect one)want your name in it, change of plot line, or even just give me a :) in the review. Any type makes me happy. Even if its just a smiley, it helps.

Thanks for reading

MagicXheart


	2. Wilting Rose

Wilting Rose

Lily cringed at the sound of his voice. She slowly stood up, hoping that she had only gotten a few drops on him. When she looked at his face, she lost all hope. He had blood running down one side of his face, the potion eating at his face. Sirius had fared slightly better, being splashed only on his arms. It occurred to Lily that James had shielded him.

"Whose potion is this?" James asked again. Now that he had recovered from the original shock of having the potion splattered, his voice had lowered. It had a cold, detached feeling to it now. Lily found it even more terrifying. She could almost see his punishment. He would ruin Kai, ruin her family. He would make her life miserable, and the scariest part of it was that he could and no one would say anything.

She glanced at Remus's and Peter's faces, looking for some source of redemption. It was pointless. Besides looking distressed at their friends' wounds, they looked furious that she had dared to injure one of them. 

Kai's teeth clattered. Her face was slowly becoming paler and paler. She was almost shaking in fear. Her short black hair fell to cover her face. She was looking anywhere in the room to avoid looking at James. 

Sirius waited for a moment then wiped the blood off his hands and arms. He muttered a charm under his breath to stop the bleeding. He looked from Kai, to Lily, and back to Kai. There was almost pity in his eyes. 

"You heard him," he said softly. There was no pity in his voice, but no cruelty either. He didn't look like he cared. He would stand by James that was clear. "Who did that potion belong too?" 

"I-i-i-i-t," Kai stuttered. Her face finally lost all color.

"I spilled it," Lily interrupted. Her eyes blazed with anger. The Marauders weren't going to hurt Kai. They couldn't destroy her family's fortune. Her family didn't have it in the first place. And she only had one year of school left. One year, that was all. She could take the humiliation for that long. "I spilled it," she repeated. Her voice trailed off again as she finally met James's eyes. 

Kai looked at her in lost gratitude. Lily smiled weakly back. 

"Evans," James said. His voice still retained that cold quantity, but heat was creeping back into it. His beckoned with a hand soaked in blood. Lily cautiously crept forward. James turned to face his friends. One by one they nodded. Peter first, Sirius last. James turned back to face Lily. He brushed past her, his shoulder carefully avoiding hers. He picked up his bag as he went, dropping it noisily on Lily's and Kai's table. "Well?" he asked arrogantly. He looked at Lily expectantly. 

"I'm sorry," Lily apologized. "It was an accident. I meant no harm." 

"I'm sure you didn't," James mocked. He glanced at Sirius's arms and his own. He looked back at Sirius with the glint of an idea in his mind. "However, if apologies were enough, what use would Azkaban be?" 

"It was an accident," Lily protested. He was going to attempt to get her thrown in Azkaban? He was an idiot, an insane idiot. 

"You'll be my slave for the year," James proclaimed. Sirius held back a snort of laughter. That was a creative way for James to get what he wanted. James turned and stomped out of the room. Right before exiting he looked over his shoulder. "Come to my room tonight at eight."

Lily moaned and collapsed in her chair. She cast a pitiful look at Kai. Kai fell into the chair next to Lily. She waited a few seconds before speaking. 

"I'm so sorry," Kai said for the second time that day. Her face was just as bright as before, just as apologetic. "Its just-"

"I understand," Lily assured her. 

She cast a look in the remaining Marauder's directions. They were quietly talking, Sirius relating a story to them. They were taking turns absentmindedly adding ingredients to the potion in the middle of the table. Lily realized in a flash of guilt that she had destroyed their potions as well. The one in the middle was brand new. She figured that they would each turn in the same one for credit. Peter, the ever loyal lapdog, would turn one in for James as well. Lily emptied her own cauldron and began to scrub it out. Tonight would be interesting in the least.

* * *

Sirius laughed as he walked into the dormitory. "That was an ingenious way to get your slave," he complimented James. He plunked down on James's bed and stared at him. "You still have blood on your forehead," he commented when James didn't respond. 

James reached up inattentively to wipe if off. He managed to smear it more across his face. "I didn't notice," he said. He put down the file he had been reading and turned to face his friend. 

"What's that?" Sirius asked, his interest piqued. 

James pushed it further underneath him. "Just a paper my mother sent me. She expects me to come home next weekend and take care of some business. My father is out of town so it needs a Potter representative." 

"I know the feeling," Sirius empathized. James nodded. Sirius had spent most of his youth being dragged to one party or another. James's father was able to handle most of the events, but Sirius didn't have that. As a result, Sirius had spent most of his childhood playing master hosting some event or another. He had spent his childhood talking to adults. He couldn't risk letting any child-like emotions out, or his company would be ruined because of it. Sirius didn't relate well to people his own age. He had spent the first ten years of his life only speaking to James, Remus, Peter, and Candice, children who had been coerced into some of the same situations. Of them, Candice was the one who was best able to reach him, making him smile when nothing else could. She would often take him by the hand and encourage him to try new things. Candice was the one who had taught Sirius how to sled and throw a quaffle. Candice had given Sirius a childhood when Sirius's mom had deprived him of it and the Marauders had given him friends. 

Sirius dealt with that by being extremely loyal and attached to the four. He would die for them, and he would certainly protect them. He was a normal teenager around them. To the rest of the world, he just didn't care. 

Sirius changed the subject back to what it had been when he entered. "I was surprised you didn't declare war on her right then and there." 

James shrugged. "Then how would I get my slave?" He leaned back with his arms crossed behind his head. "This is going to be fun," he promised.

* * *

Lily absently fingered the edges of her long red hair. She flipped the pages of her second-hand book, not really taking in the pages that were passing in front of her. Finally, frustrated, she tossed the book to the floor. 

"Those disgusting pigs!" she yelled.

Kai looked up from her homework and checked her watch. "What?" She asked in genuine surprise.

Lily shook her head and started pacing back and forth. "Nerves," she explained finally when Kai began to look concerned.

"At least they didn't declare war on you like they did to Charlie last year," Kai attempted to be helpful. 

But she wasn't. Charlie had been a year ahead of them last year. He was popular, rich obviously, a legitimately happy teenager. One day though, he had accidentally spilled his pumpkin juice on James. It was a mishap, an everyday occurrence. In a school this big, someone spilled a drink daily. James ordered him to get on the floor and beg for forgiveness. Charlie did so. The next order was for Charlie to lick his shirt clean. When Charlie refused on the basis that he was a seventh year and wasn't going to scrape to someone younger than him, James stood up and walked away. The next day an owl delivered a rose, _the _rose. The envelope also contained a piece of parchment, stating the obvious. _War_, it had said, signed simply The Marauders. The instant Charlie touched the rose, the petals wilted. One drifted slowly to the ground, everyone's eyes upon it. 

As soon as it touched the ground everyone around him immediately stood up and walked away. It took him six days to break. Six day of no one speaking to him except to mock him. His best friends were the ones who turned the most vicious. Brutal pranks were played upon him, until he just couldn't take it anymore. He left school, coming back three weeks later to collect his stuff. He had lost so much weight that Lily almost didn't recognize him. The teachers let him go, claiming that it was his own fault. No one even said goodbye as he left. 

The wilting rose was a declaration of war from the Marauders. No one ever lasted more than two weeks after receiving it. It was just another way they proved that they ran their school. 

Lily pointed out exactly how encouraging Kai's comment was. Kai frowned and stood up next to Lily. 

"Just be your usual self, Lils. I'm sure before long you'll even charm the Marauders. Or at the very least, shock them with your stubbornness."

Lily wasn't sure if that was a compliment or insult. She wasn't so positive about the stubborn part either. If she was as stubborn and righteous as she used to be, she wouldn't be bowing to James's orders. Neither would she have let James nor Sirius mistreat the other people. She finally stopped pacing and plopped down onto her bed. She used one hand to gather her hair into a messy ponytail, with the other she slipped the pony holder over it. She stuck her wand in her pocket and stood back up. 

"Lily, its seven-thirty," Kai told her. 

"I want to be prompt," Lily answered with a wicked smile.

* * *

Remus laid down his hand. "Four eights," he announced. He grabbed the galleons in the middle of the table. 

James cursed and laid down his own hand of three aces. 

"I thought I was going to win that round," he complained. He gathered up the rest of the cards and threw in a couple of galleons. He shuffled the cards quickly and dealt them. He set down the deck and looked at his own hand. He set them face down on the table and took a swig of his drink. He mulled over how many cards he should discard.

"Three," Sirius said. James dealt the cards and turned to Remus. 

Remus held up two fingers. "Don't you have a date tonight?" Sirius asked him. 

Peter held up only one finger. 

"Like I would miss this," Remus replied. "James is finally going to voluntarily spend time with a girl other than his cousin and Candice. It's a first." 

James scowled at Sirius. "Candice left town, didn't she?" 

Sirius ducked his head and nodded. "She had an acting commitment in Russia. She gets back in two weeks."

"Tough luck, Padfoot," James consoled. He raised Peter's bet and leaned back in his chair. Sirius shrugged. 

"I haven't seen Candice in forever," Remus commented. 

"It's only been three weeks," Sirius countered. 

Remus shrugged, "I still miss her." 

James laid a straight on the table. "I win…" his voice trailed off. He looked up at the redhead in his doorway. 

Lily smiled to herself over James's expression. She had caught him off-guard at least. "I'm here, Potter," she announced. 

James stood up, his pleasant expression changing into a frown. "It's seven-forty," he said. "I said eight." 

Lily acknowledged the point. "I wanted to be early," she replied. "I wouldn't want to miss the chance to serve the infamous James." 

James noted how she had changed from Potter to James. He wondered why. "Go stand in the corner," he commanded. He sat back in his chair and collected the money. "I'm bored," he announced. 

Lily walked towards the corner and obediently stood silently. She gaped a little when James accumulated the money. His winnings on one game were more money together in her life. The other three's piles were just as large.

Sirius stood up and carelessly dropped the money onto his bed. He leaned against the bedpost and twirled one coin on his fingers. Lily was instantly jealous. She always wished she could do that. 

"I'm thirsty," he announced. 

From the table James looked at Lily expectantly. "Well?"

Lily realized that was supposed to be her cue. She rationalized with herself that she had injured him as well. 

"I have some water bottles in my room," she offered. She vaguely wondered why anyone that rich would bother drinking a common person's drink. She didn't have to wonder long. 

"I don't want water," Sirius scoffed. He flipped her the coin in his hand. "Go buy me some firewhiskey." 

"I can't go to Hogsmeade in the middle of the night! I would be expelled!" Lily burst out. That was an unreasonable assumption on their part. She wouldn't get in trouble with the teachers for them. She didn't have their type of immunity. 

Sirius shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Relax, Evans," Remus cautioned. He pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocked and began to sketch a quick drawing. He explained about the hunchback witch and the passageway it contained. 

Lily sighed and accepted the map from Remus. She took drink orders from the rest. She cast a charm on herself so that the professors wouldn't catch her that way and walked out the door. She crossed her fingers and hoped that the professors wouldn't catch her. She could always just blame on the Marauders if she was.

* * *

"Here are your drinks," Lily threw them onto James's bed. She had gone to Hog's Head to buy them. She had been blushing furiously the entire time. Two olds guys and one drunk had attempted to hit on her. The first two she had dismissed but the drunk was now unconscious in a garbage can. At least the bartender hadn't asked for ID. She didn't think he even looked at her the entire time. She had bought all she could with Sirius's money and tipped the bartender with the rest. She didn't think that they had even deigned to go into the place. She looked on with amusement as they frowned at the dust. Finally Remus grabbed on and guzzled it down. The others followed suit. 

Lily made a motion to leave and James held out his hand. "Where are you going?"

"To bed! Its ten o'clock and I have to study." With those transfiguration tests quickly approaching, Lily had to study a lot to pass. She was running her roommates ragged with the times she spent transfiguring their quills into random objects.

"You're my slave. You stay," James countered. Lily trudged back to her corner and stood there. She watched as the four boys played another round of poker, getting steadily more and more drunk. Finally, after half an hour, James turned back to Lily. "You want to play?"

He was drunk. 

"No," Lily answered in disgust. She had no money anyway. She should back in her room studying not catering to these spoiled prats. 

James realized what the problem was. He looked at Lily's shabby robes to her cough haircut. 

"I can lend you money." Lily flushed. She could never pay him back and he knew it. She didn't even bother to answer. "Or," James drawled, seeing Lily's reluctance, "we can play strip poker."

Lily couldn't take it any longer. She burst forward. "You ignorant prick! You think that just because mommy and daddy are rich you can do whatever you want! Just because you have money, rules don't apply to you! Just because I have to actually work for money and don't have it handed to me on a gold platter, I'm not as good as you!" This entire spiel was delivered at a considerable volume. The Marauders sat, stunned. As Lily glared at them, Sirius began to laugh softly. Lily spun to address the rest of them. "You, morons are nothing. You're not hot, talented, or even socially functional. I don't have to take that anymore." 

James made a motion to say something. Lily didn't let him get it out. She drew back her arm and punched him in the jaw. 

"That's my declaration of war, James Potter!" Shaking her hand, she walked out their door. 

_Damn, that felt good, _she thought. She wasn't going to regret it tomorrow either. She would show them that someone could stand up to those brats! 

Back in the dormitory, James wiped his jaw. Blood trailed down from his mouth. 

"What are you laughing at?" he snarled at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged, "I didn't think she would actually do it. She had the look in her eye, but no one has actually dared to punch you before." He chuckled for a moment longer. 

"I wonder why?" Remus asked sarcastically. He drew out a red rose from his bag and handed it to James. "Would you like to do the honors?" 

James set the rose down next to him. "I give her one week." He laid his winnings from the poker game down on the table. 

Peter stroked his chin. "Two," he answered, matching the bet. "That girl has some spirit." 

Remus stood up and began to walk out the door. "Where are you going?" Sirius asked. "I have a date, remember?" Remus continued walking and Peter smiled at the joke. Remus had known that Lily would do this. Lily Evans was going to be interesting.

* * *

The next day James and Sirius leaned against the doorway of the Great Hall. James nudged Sirius as the owl flew in. It dropped its package and departed. It had arrived ten minutes before the others, making it a novelty. A few people from the Gryffindor table watched in curiosity as Lily Evans opened an envelope. She drew out a perfect, red rose. She pricked her finger on it,spilling a drop of blood fall to the floor. As everyone watched in horror, the rose wilted and James smiled. 

"That's war, Lily Evans," he whispered

_A/N_

_Thanks for reading. _

_Thanks for all of the reviews! I loved them! And to answer a few of them because I forgot to do so before now (normally I just reply to the review)_

_OstrasizedPotato: don't worry. They become nice later on. _

_opalshine: Same. Sirius will become nice first though, I think._

_0Rosina0: Thanks. My other stories are AU too if you want to check them out. Have you read Y. Lily's stories or P.P.V.V.? they are my favorite AU HP authors. _

_Zhangie.: Yeah. You're right. I wanted James to be unstable, but quiet is scarier. I had him do a quiet thing at the beginning. Thanks. _

_Thanks to angelps7 for giving me my very first review for this story!_

_Props to crzyazngrl-in luv for figuring out where I got this idea from. _

_Props to Rider Arya Svit-kona for saving me from my horrible writing. _

_And thanks to candio08 for giving me her name, Candice, to use. _

_Thanks to everyone who review._

MagicXheart


	3. Spirit

**Spirit**

Lily halfheartedly picked at her eggs. She pushed them from one side of her plate to the other. Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ear. She gave up and set her fork down.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked concerned.

Lily shrugged and picked up her book bag. "I think I'm just going to go to class. I wanted to study for that test we have today." She swung one leg over to the other side of the bench. "It's going to be a killer."

Kai emphasized. Fortunately she wasn't in the same class as Lily next hour. Lily was all set on being the overachiever. Or, more correctly, Lily's parents were all set on her being an overachiever. Kai supposed they wanted Lily to make the money for the family. Since they had sent her to this school, they probably wanted her to marry into money. She waved goodbye and went back to digging into her breakfast. She raised her head to ask Lily one last thing when she noticed it. An owl had flown in with a package tied to its leg. Not a particularly strange thing, just atypical. Lily had apparently noticed it too. When the owl spotted her, it turned Lily sat back down.

"I wonder who sent something to you?" Kai asked out loud. In seven years, Lily had only received one or two letters.

"My parents, probably," Lily mumbled. She hoped at least. After last night though, she knew what it was. She had been expecting it. It had been foolish of her to try to leave early.

The owl flapped around, looking for a place to roost. It finally settled for Lily's arm. A few of the people surrounding them looked on interest. Owls never came this early for post. Lily had to appreciate the genius of having it delivered early. Now it would take a few seconds less for people to figure out what was going on, only few more seconds of being ostracized.

Lily's hands trembled once before she got her resolve back. She had asked for this. She was going to stand up to those pricks once and for all. She untied the loose packaging and drew out a crimson rose. One hand silently stroked the pedals as they turned brown. The beauty of the rose had lasted an instant. Her other hand reached for the stem. She drew back her fingers as a single drop of blood fell to the floor. The thorn had pierced her skin. She looked up towards the door, at the person she knew would be there. James had declared war. Lily wouldn't disappoint.

Kai gasped, as she watched in dismay. "What happened last night?" She hissed.

Lily looked up at her. A smile spread on her face. "I declared war on the Marauders. It looks like they reciprocated the gesture. Care to join me?" She didn't really expect Kai too, not against the Marauders. Still...

Kai thought her best friend had gone insane. You don't offend the Marauders. That was one of the first things she had taught her Muggle friend. In the society of the rich, you can't offend the richer and James was the richest of all. Kai stood up. She tripped over the bench backing away.

"I-I have to go," she stuttered. She grabbed her bag and practically ran in the other direction.

As Kai was running, everyone else in the Great Hall was doing the equivalent of it. One by one they turned around. They went back to whatever they had been doing before the owl had arrived. Those closest to Lily scooted further down the bench. Lily was alone both physically and mentally now.

Lily gently placed the wilted rose in her bag. She pressed it between two pages of one of her numerous textbooks. She would remember this day, at the very least. She watched Kai go, only half surprised. Kai had always been about appearing popular and marrying rich. If she had stayed with Lily all of that would have disappeared. She stood up and walked towards class. She had a test to study for.

* * *

Lily stumbled into her Charms class. A passing fifth-year had sent a trip jinx her way. She righted herself and picked up a book that had spilled out of her bag. She swept her hair out of her face and looked around. Thanks to the idiots that kept getting in her way she was the last person in her class. The entire school was bowing to the Marauders. What idiots. A NEWT level course, only ten other people were taking this class. She normally sat at a table with some Hufflepuff girls. The only other Gryffindors in this class were three of the Marauders. Peter hadn't cared enough to make it into this class. She headed over to her usual table and looked around.

"Excuse me, Professor?" she said quietly.

Flitwick stopped scribbling on a piece of parchment. He looked at Lily, after glancing at the Marauders. James glared at him and shook his head. Flitwick looked at Lily regretfully.

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"My chair is missing," Lily informed him coolly.

"You have my permission to find a new one," Flitwick answered. He had the ability to conjure her a new one, but like everyone else, his job depended on the Marauders.

Lily sighed and walked out of the room. She came back in five minutes later dragging a chair that weighed more than her. As soon as she reached the door, she dropped it and pulled out her wand. She placed a flying charm on it to move it to a new table. She sat by herself for the hour.

* * *

James relaxed on a chair. He threw a ball up and down a few times before tossing it to Sirius. Sirius played with it for a few seconds and tossed it on to Remus.

"How did your date go last night?" Sirius asked Remus. He accepted the ball and tossed it back to James.

Remus smiled wickedly. "I had fun saying goodbye this morning."

James rolled his eyes. "What would your mom say?"

Remus shuddered. "Please don't remind me. She doesn't know and she never will." James laughed. Remus shot him a dirty glare and tossed the ball back with a little more force than necessary. "Speaking of girls, Lily seems to be coping rather well. She reminds me of your cousin in a way, very strong." James's cousin was a favorite of the Marauders. Mainly because she took pleasure in bossing James around. No one else quite had the courage to hit him. Well at least, before Lily had come.

James smiled. "I arranged a little surprise for her. She'll be gone in a week and you guys will owe me the money."

Sirius shrugged. "I don't think you give the girl enough credit." He stood up and looked at the doorway. He pulled down his wrinkled, navy shirt. "Let's go play some real ball." James smirked at his comment and followed suit. He trailed his friend out the door.

* * *

Lily stomped through the courtyard. She ducked another curse thrown at her and frowned.

"Grow some spine," she yelled at the person who had shot it at her. She looked down at her ripped robes and sighed. Maybe she could charm them back to the way they had looked before. It's not like her parents would send her some new ones. She collapsed down by a secluded tree and pulled out her book. As she opened it, the rose fell out. She forgot she had saved it in there. She shoved it towards the back of the book; a part that she wouldn't need to use soon. She lost herself in the book she was reading. She tried to forget the various things that had happened that day. Most of all, she tried to forget what Kai had done to her.

"Excuse me," Lily heard a voice say, twenty minutes later. She looked up, confused. Someone was actually talking to her?

"Could you sign this please?" A fifth-year asked. He looked to be around fifteen years old and had brown hair tinted red. He was holding out a quill and a photo. Lily took it, wondering what it was. Behind him, a fourth year boy was breaking out in laughter. The boy in front of him turned around and smiled at him. "Addressed to Alex," the boy said.

Lily took the photo and turned it over. She screamed in fury and shock. The photo was one of a naked girl preening at a camera. The girl's body was new to Lily. She had never seen it before, not that she would recognize a random body. The face however, belonged to Lily. She was laughing and blowing kisses to the camera. Behind her a sign advertised 'One hour, fifty dollars.'

Lily burst up and brandished her wand at the pig in front of her. "Who gave this to you?" she asked with a threat in her voice. Her face flushed red in anger.

The guy, Alex, ignored her. He pulled out a fifty dollar bill from a pocket in his robe.

"So is it true? Do you only charge fifty? I suppose you're poor enough that this is a fortune for you."

Lily looked at him in disgust. She ran through a catalog of curses in her head, preparing to hit him with one.

"Who gave that to you?" she repeated the question. She threw a weak jinx at him, causing his face to break out in blue spots. Unexpectedly her wand flew out of her arm. She had forgotten the fourth-year behind Alex.

Alex rushed forward and pinned her to the ground. He tucked the fifty dollar bill and photo into Lily's hand. "I paid you. Now it's your turn to live up to the bargain." Lily struggled against him. Alex was still angry that his face had changed color. He hadn't expected Lily to fight back. He held her arms tighter and motioned his friend with his head to come help him. Lily was stronger than she looked. She kicked out at Alex.

"Ow!" Alex yelped. He slapped her in the face. "You little brat." Lily sucked in her lip. She screamed for help. She didn't really expect anyone to come. Not many people walked by here that was why she had chosen it. Alex prepared to do worse than his original plan. Lily wasn't going to get away with offending him.

"What are you doing?" A voice said behind him. It was low and threatening.

Alex jumped off of her and cowered. "Nothing, sir." The boy beside him nodded his head vigorously. Lily picked herself off the ground and readjusted her robe. She looked in awe at her savior.

Sirius Black stood before her. He looked livid. The two males shook before him. "James told us-"

"To rape her?"

They shook their heads. "No, sir." They tried to explain but Sirius ignored them.

He flicked his head. "Get out of here, now!" The boys took the words to heart and scampered. Sirius looked at Lily to ascertain that she was okay. Once satisfied, he began to walk away.

"Wait," Lily called. She sped up to walk next to him. "Where are you going?"

"To eat lunch," Sirius answered. "Why do you care?"

Lily was a little affronted at his tone. He had just saved her and now he acted like he didn't care. "I just wanted to say thank you," she answered in a quiet voice, "for saving me."

Sirius just kept walking away from her, towards the castle. Lily matched his pace. "I didn't do it because of you. I just don't like it when males act that way."

Lily took this news with some shock. "Thank you," she repeated. "For whatever reason, you still saved me. I'm grateful." She stopped walking and Sirius entered the castle. She would remember, even if he didn't.

* * *

An hour later, Lily stomped into a classroom. Her face was flushed red with rage. She looked over James and Remus, who were in the middle of a game of wizard's chess. Neither one acknowledged that she had walked in.

"Knight to E3" James ordered. He was dressed casually in jeans and a loose t-shirt. He looked like he had on any other day. Any other day when he hadn't sent two men to rape a girl.

Lily clomped over to him. "Is that your idea of a joke?" She screamed. She flung the photograph onto the table in front of him.

James looked at her with a cool fashion, as if he didn't care. "Yes," he said. Remus was confused. He sat quietly, waiting to see how this thing played out. He would get an explanation later.

"Me being raped? That was your idea of a joke?" Lily repeated.

This time James reacted. He jumped out of his chair, scattering the chess board to the floor. "Raped? I didn't tell them to rape you! I just told those guys to have you sign a photo. What are you going on about?" How dare that girl acuse _him _of a thing like that. Like a Potter would sink that low, like he would have to.

Lily was taken a little bit aghast. This was the second reaction she wasn't prepared for today. First, Sirius actually caring, and then James not being as nasty as she had thought him to be. "You didn't tell them to rape me?"

James shook his head in denial. He settled back into his chair, trying to deny the fact that Lily had elicited such a strong reaction in the first place. This was the girl that had punched him. He didn't care what happened to her. He told himself that he was looking after his honor.

"This photo that was it. You aren't worth my efforts to do anything worse." Lily's anger was returning. Even if he hadn't sent those idiots to rape her, he wasn't acting remorseful about the rest of it. "You are okay, though?" James asked. It would have been more touching, but he said it in an arrogant way, as though pointing out the fact that she was obviously uninjured.

Lily nodded. "No thanks to you," she spat out.

"You know this can all be over," James told her. "All you have to do is kiss me. Then I'll tell everyone to lay off of you. I find that I'm actually becoming to admire your…spirit."

Lily glowered with fury. "You send those boys to harass me, and now you ask me out? You must be joking." She pulled out her wand and cast a spell. James didn't know what it did. Lily spun around and marched out of the room.

Back in his chair, Remus burst out laughing. It was James's turn to look confused. "Your hair mate," Remus explained between laughs. "It's bright pink." James cursed and pulled out his wand. He began to experiment with differed countercharms. "Still, I'm surprised you asked her out. What prompted that little break of character?"

James shot Remus a dirty glare at his enjoyment of James's hair. "I thought you were right. I thought she was like my cousin. Now though, I see that I was wrong. Gwen would never do a thing as low as this." James gestured to his hair with another curse. He tried yet another charm.

As James settled back into the position he had been before Lily entered, Remus realized what had happened. He wondered how long it would take James to discover the same thing. He also wondered what James would do to Lily before he figured it out as well.

Lily walked through the dormitory with a grin on her face. It had felt so good doing that to James. Even with the repercussions, it would still be priceless seeing everyone's expressions if he couldn't remove the jinx. Her curiosity was piqued when she heard her name. She paused to listen to two girls' conversation.

"I can't believe Lily is standing up to them like that."

"I'm proud of her. I wish I had the courage."

"Still though, could you stand up to the Marauders like that? They're so hot; I would probably die if one of them ever talked to me."

"Sirius actually talked to me once," one of the girls remembered fondly. Lily stopped listening and continued walking. So someone out there was proud of her. After today, she hadn't really expected that. It felt good to stand up to those four. Still, Sirius had saved her. What those guys would have done to her if he hadn't been there. She shuddered. Lily walked off to bed, smiling for a different reason now.

**_AN_**

Yeah. I love spring break! Small change in the story. In the first part of the first chapter I changed Sirius's and Remus speaking parts to make it fit them better. Nothing major. So chapterly props:

As always to Rider Arya Svit-kona for being the best beta reader I could ask for.

To Intricacy for being the second person to know what i based this off of.

Opalshine: You were totally right about Kai. I was hoping someone would pick that up. She didn't turn out to be that great, but Lily gets some new friends too that are much better!

To all of the rest of the wonderful reviewers. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon. You guys give me the inspiration to write.

I actually put something on my bio, for all those who actually click on it. I have a poll too, if you're interested.

Until next time. Thanks for reading. :) Now click on the pretty review button. You know you want too. It will take five seconds if you just want to leave a :) and I'll owe you forever. And put up a new chapter sooner.

**Edit **Okay. Contest time. I need a guys name. The character will be fairly important and keep reoccuring. So give me your favorite ones (cuz i hate it when the main characters have stupid names that don't fit them like the Hulk for a skinny, white boy (just example, didn't really happen) or w/e) So submit ur favorites, and the winner will get a prize. probably just a chapter dedicated, but if you request something in ur submition and will i'll try and grant it


	4. You Saved Me

_

* * *

_

You Saved Me

"Excuse me, sir," Alex said. He looked at the ground, not daring to look at. He didn't know whether Sirius had told his friend or not. Having one Marauder angry at him was enough for one day. He fidgeted for a second before realizing that if he didn't speak soon, then James would be pissed anyway. "I did as you asked."

"And now you're here for your payment," James surmised. He wondered how stupid these two boys thought he was. He would have some fun doing this at least. "Did you carry out your instructions to the letter?"

Alex took his chances. "Yes, sir." We asked her to sign the photograph you gave us. She was rather embarrassed. Rather violent reaction, though."

"That's all?"

Alex wondered once again how much James knew. He weighed the outcomes of his answers against each other. He swallowed loudly. "Yes."

James stepped closer to Alex. "That's not what I heard." He took out his wand and tapped it against his hand.

The two boys' faces went pale. They knew how violent his wrath could be. The boy next to Alex, Cameron, fell to the ground. He landed hard on his knees and began bowing.

"Please, sir. She harmed Alex and he attacked her. I couldn't stop him. I had nothing to do with it." Alex threw a look of disgust at his friend. Even if his statement did hold some figment of the truth, he hadn't expected his friend just to rat him out like that.

James seconded the look of disgust. Friendships seemed to crumble around him. It seemed like the other had no idea what loyalty was. He would have respected Cameron more if he had stood up for his friend. After coaxing the story out of a couple first years who had heard Alex bragging about it, he knew that Cameron had done nothing. He might have even let him off the hook a few minutes ago. Now, James turned to face Alex. He had an expectant look on his face.

"The girl attacked me. I was forced to take measures to defend myself." Everyone knew that Lily was an unusually talented witch. Maybe James would believe that he had done it in self-defense.

"You disobeyed my instructions and now you have lied to me," James stated. He slipped his wand back into his pocked. Cameron's face gained back some of his color as James extended a hand to help him. As Cameron got to his feet, James slid his left arm around his back. He leaned closer to his ear. "Don't ever try that again," he whispered. In the following second he punched Cameron in the stomach, hard. Cameron fell back to the floor that he had just exited.

Alex looked at James in dismay. James left Cameron to the floor and sauntered over to him. Alex bore a pleading expression. James raised his right fist again and Alex lost all hope. He made a desperate attempt and took a fighting position. He threw a punch at James's head. James sidestepped it and grabbed Alex's arm. He twisted it and forced Alex to his knees. Alex moaned and James released him. He stepped back to give Alex another shot. This time Alex attempted to kick him. The fight lasted less than thirty seconds. Alex cradled his broken arm. James stepped over him, without any mercy in his eyes.

* * *

Lily sat down to breakfast Thursday, two days after the rose had first arrived. She was alone, again. She shoveled a small portion of food onto her plate and looked around her. The rest of the Gryffindors were eating and talking. A low buzzing sound was created by the amount of conversations. When she had sat down in an already isolated area, the people around her had scooted even farther away, just like yesterday. She figured that that particular event was going to happen far more often than she liked. She got over her moment of self-pity and dug into her food. She would need her energy for this day.

She was still eating five minutes later when the letters started falling. She ignored them at first, until one landed right in front of her. _Lily Evans _was inscribed on the front it. She opened it and began to read.

Her eyes grew wider with every word. When she reached the end of it she looked around at everyone else in the Hall. Each one had abandoned their conversation in order to read the letter. As she watched, the laughs began. People began to glance over in her direction, half in disbelief. Then the conversation began again. She heard her name on the lips of hundreds. Cruel smiles rose to the rich students. Lily stood up and ran out of the cafeteria.

Up at the teachers table, all wondered at the strange letters that were falling like snowflakes. The teachers summoned them into their hands and began to read. A few laughed cruelly, in a parody of the students before them. Others, Dumbledore and McGonagall among them, shook their heads and let the letters fall to the ground. Of them, only the newcomer stood up. Justin Cooper looked at the spectacle in front of him and watched the girl running out of the door. He waited, wondering if any of the other teachers would claim seniority and take control. After ten minutes, no one had. He made his decision; he chased after her.

Lily found herself stomping towards the Marauders for the third time in as many days. She was hoping this wouldn't become a habit. It certainly wasn't a fun way to start her day. She finally found James and the others on a set of stairs, on their way to the Great Hall. She stopped right in front of them, forcing them to stop as well.

"What?" Peter asked frustrated. He wasn't a morning person. He hated it when people tried to get between him and breakfast.

Lily looked at Sirius once before dropping her gaze. She turned to glare at James. "I am not a slut!" she screamed. "I have not been fooling around, ever! And I am definitely not pregnant!" James just looked back at her with a confused expression on his face. He had no idea what Lily was babbling about. Lily walked back down the steps, pausing after a few seconds. She turned her head to look back at James. "I'll get my revenge. This time you've gone too far."

"What was that about?" Peter asked James. The quartet continued down the steps, watching Lily's retreating figure.

James shrugged. "This time, I can honestly say I have no idea. Why would Lily want to tell me that she wasn't pregnant?"

"Did you call her fat, mate?" Remus asked.

James shook his head. This was a bit odd, even for Lily. He really had no idea what she was talking about. He still felt a tad bit guilty for the Alex and Cameron thing. He had been planning to leave her alone for the next few days. He would still get rid of her, of course. He was just planning on giving her a few days to recover.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Sirius answered for all of them. "After all, she promised us revenge." James smiled at the thought. Lily Evans had spoken, if nothing else.

From the stairs above them, Crystal smiled. Lily seemed to have taken this blow hard, just like Crystal had expected. Lily had messed with the Marauders, one of which was her future husband. Lily was going down and Crystal was going to enjoy it. That low class girl shouldn't have been bothering the Marauders. She didn't deserve to be near them. She fixed her hair and snapped her compact shut. Lily Evans would be out of the way soon. She swept down the stairs, with an evil grin on her face.

Lily hid in an alcove behind a tapestry. As far as she knew, no one else in the school had discovered this place. Of course, none of the other rich kids would want to get their clothes dusty. She looked over the letter once again and let a few tears creep out. Here, in her secret place, she would allow herself that self-indulgence.

* * *

She heard a rustling noise and wiped her tears off with the back of her hand. She wasn't really expecting anyone to pull back the tapestry, but just in case.

So when the tapestry was gently pushed to the side, allowing the light to flow in, Lily was shocked. She saw the outline of a body climbing in next to her. "I thought I would find you here," a deep voice said with a tinge of amusement.

"Professor?" Lily asked surprised. She looked into the green eyes staring at her. She wondered how he knew to find her here.

"I always hid here when I went to school here," Justin answered serenely. He acted as if this was an everyday occurrence for him. "No one else ever found it. I guess it was due to the dust." He came to the same conclusion as Lily had. Lily vaguely remembered that he was a scholarship student. "I took my fair amount of beatings about being a scholarship student, too. Nothing of this magnitude, though." He looked at the piece of paper that Lily was still clutching.

Lily tucked it in closer to her body. "You must never have offended the Marauders," she said darkly.

Justin laughed and shook his head. "I can't say I did." He looked at her and tilted his head. "Of course, from what I remember of you, you wouldn't let a thing like this stop you. You protected me from the richer kids once." He smiled. "I suppose I should call them my students now." Lily laughed at that. "You always had backbone, even when you were little."

Lily chuckled weakly. "I don't remember that." She felt embarrassed at what her professor was admitting to her. She had actually saved _him_? She was sure she would have remembered his face. Grimacing on the inside, she remembered something else. She remembered joking with Kai about who got to date him. That seemed like it had been ages ago.

"Trust me, you did," Justin assured her. He stood up gracefully. "I have to go now, this probably doesn't look too appropriate. Are you going to be okay?"

Lily nodded. She stood up also, tucking the piece of paper into her pocket. She would keep it as a reminder. "Thank you, professor," she added on the professor as a last second thought. Justin certainly hadn't seemed like a professor for the last few minutes. He had seemed like just another desperate student.

Justin nodded at her thanks. He left the alcove, whistling a tune. The Marauders had been brats, even when he went to school here. Seeing Lily go up against would be interesting. He had faith in her. More importantly, he had faith in the little twelve-year-old that had shaken her fist at a seventeen-year-old for making fun of another boy's robe. Especially since that little girl had been wearing robes as scraped up as his.

Sirius nimbly leapt over a stick. He sat down on a log and set his bag down next to him. He pulled out a sketchbook and began to draw the woods surrounding him. He became absorbed in what he was doing. He sat completely still, except for his hand moving up and down the page.

"Hey," Lily said quietly from behind him. She walked up next to him and sat down on the log.

Sirius didn't acknowledge her at first. He stopped sketching and set his pencil down in front of him. He turned to face her, but didn't speak.

"I wanted to say thank you again." Lily finally said. Sirius still didn't respond. Lily sat there for a moment in silence before speaking up again. She looked over at his sketch. "That's beautiful," she praised him. "It looks like a photograph."

"It's just something I've picked up," Sirius answered her. He set it face down on the ground. As he did, the page flipped over and revealed another sketch. It was one of a slightly older girl. She had classic figures, slim and beautiful. She possessed flowing, dark hair. Her face was heart-shaped and angelic. Lily was astonished at the elegance the girl seemed to possess. She was one of those girls who only existed in books, or perhaps a painting of an angel.

"She's beautiful," Lily stammered out. Sirius followed her gaze. "Who is she?"

"Candice," Sirius finally answered her. He seemed uneasy. His eyes however, were sad.

"How do you know her?" Lily asked. Inside, she was crushed. Sirius had this beautiful girlfriend. She should have known. A guy like Sirius was bound to be dating one of the prettiest girls in England.

"She's a…friend," Sirius finally answered. He bent down and shoved the pictures back into his bag. He stood up and began to walk away from Lily, again.

"Wait, I thought we could talk," Lily protested. She ran to catch up with him. Again, it seemed a repeat of a few days ago.

"About what, Lily Evan?" Sirius asked with complete seriousness. He came to a halt and gazed into her eyes.

Lily found the look unnerving. "You like Quidditch?" She asked.

Sirius burst out laughing. That wasn't what he had been expecting. Then with Lily, nothing was as he expected. "Yes," he answered. "I like Quidditch."

* * *

"I'm going back to my house on Friday night," James told his friends. They were sitting in a circle doing various things. His announcement took them by surprise. They looked at him with a questioning stares. "My mom needs me to host an event. Some major deal is going on. You guys coming?"

They nodded. Their families would be invited to any big event, obviously. They would get points for having taken up some responsibility. At any rate, it was a way to visit London and get out of Hogwarts.

James went back to reading his book, his mission accomplished. At least the event would not be completely boring. He could spend most of the evening talking to his friends now. He looked over the different moves the Quidditch players were performing. He could use some of this in training tomorrow. They would win the house cup this year, as soon as he could find another keeper. The one he had now was a bust.

He looked up when he felt a wet sensation going down his back. Slimy was the way he would have described it. He jumped up and noticed that Peter and Remus were doing the same thing. He looked down and noticed a pool of liquid at his feet. He knew what it looked like. The others surrounding them were attempting not to laugh. They wouldn't laugh at the Marauders. They knew the consequences.

Sirius alone was unaffected. He felt something in his hand. He unfolded the piece of parchment and read it. _Because you saved me_ it read. That explained what was going on. He didn't have to resist the urge to laugh.

James also grasped what was going on. He glanced around, like a predator, and spotted his prey. He approached Lily fuming. "Why did you do this?"

"Happy revenge," Lily answered. She put down the book she was reading. Justin had reminded her what the right thing to do was. She was standing up for herself. Whatever they dealt, she could return it with equal force.

"What the hell inspired this?" James growled. He hadn't done anything to this girl.

"A number of things," Lily answered, standing up. She stood there for a minute, as if debating the point. "I bet if I leave you alone for a couple of minutes even you might be able to think of a couple things." She finally answered him with a straight face.

James decided to let that insult go. "What makes you hate me so much!?" He asked quietly. He was James Potter. Women were normally swooning over him. He hated them for it, women that only wanted his money, but it happened. What was wrong with Lily that she wasn't dying to go out with him?

Lily took a step closer to him. "I hate the way your run your hand through your hair. I hate your cockiness, how you never wear the school uniform. And most especially, I hate the way that you think you can get away with anything and everyone will just automatically forgive you. I am sick of everyone bowing down to you, never offending you. Its over!" With that she calmly walked up to the room she shared with the other seventh year girls.

James continued to stand there, flabbergasted. He watched her go. Insanely, the thought that Lily looked pretty when she was angry crossed his mind. He finally stopped a younger boy who walked by him and ordered him to find a towel. The other Marauders were doing the same. After that, he sank into the chair that Lily had vacated. Maybe he had underestimated this girl. A smile eventually spread across his lips. He would have fun planning his own revenge.

**A/N**

Contrary to what it may seem like right now, this is still a Lily James fic, not Lily Sirius. It just seems that way for now. (In case anyone was worrying)

For guys names I've narrowed it down to Chase (SugarHi Marauders) Michael (Your yellow flower and MissMarauder4487)and Gabriel (MissMarauder4487) The character is slightly geeky, but really nice. So vote on your favorite name in the review.

Forever props to Rider Arya Svit-kona for beta. I have no grammar ability and she is awesome at fixing up the story. And plot ideas.

Review replies to people not signed in:

**Love your story:** thanks. I'm glad u think its original. That's what I was going for. Thanks for the review! **Aria Cantanta:** yeah. I hate it sometimes when the female is always being saved. Its great in some stories, but in others its overdone. I guess that why I like HP. Ginny is great! Thanks for the review. **Opalshine:** Thanks. I wasn't really planning on letting Snape have a big part. His friendship with Lily always kind of depressed me. I cried during that part in HP7. Buts it's a hilarious idea. Lol. Thanks for the review!

Thanks to all reviewers! You guys are the reason I write!!


	5. Pulling Pigtails

**Pulling Pigtails**

"Potter residence."

The four Marauders stepped out of the fireplace. James brushed off his clothes and looked around. "This place never changes," he muttered. He declined the various outfits servants were proffering. By the fifth outfit, he grew so frustrated that he grabbed it out of the servant's hands and threw it on the floor. He then pushed the offending servant when he bent down to pick it up.

When they were offered again he turned to look at Ian. "Your mother insisted that you dress nice, Master James." Ian told him with a bow. He adjusted his suit and looked James with a wooden expression. James knew from long experience that he wouldn't escape this room without picking an outfit. His mother was to be obeyed. Ian had the unfortunate job of carrying out those orders. No matter how James yelled or abused him, Ian always came back for more. James was scary, but his mother was worse.

"That one," James jabbed towards an Armani tux. The man holding bowed and handed it to James. James stepped into the next room over to change into it.

"You think he would have learned by now," Remus laughed. The other three boys had arrived in their tuxes. With a few quick charms the fireplace soot was gone. James however, was constantly battling with his mom over his wardrobe.

Sirius shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. He motioned the servants in the room to leave. Sirius looked around at James's bedroom. It hadn't changed much since last time he had set foot in it. The walls were still a deep blue with gold trimming. The floor was carpeted gold to match. The four-poster bed had the same colors. He smiled as he remembered the fight that had occurred over those colors. James had wanted red and gold for the obvious reasons. This was the compromise they had finally reached. On his dresser were a few pictures of the four of them together as well as Gwen and her husband. The room was devoid of personal artifacts other than those four pictures. James rarely spent the night there, preferring to spend the holidays at Hogwarts instead.

"Are your parents going to be here?" Peter asked as James reentered.

James tugged at the tie that was around his neck. "No," he replied. "They're both in New York brokering some big deal there that they couldn't get out of. The CEO made it crystal clear that both of them would be required otherwise he would assume they didn't consider the deal important." James frowned as he said the last thing. "So, I get to spend the entire night talking to the old guy that the steel company sends over."

"Joy," Sirius said. He stood up and walked over to James. He briefly checked his appearance in the mirror on the way over. He clapped James on the back and directed him towards the door.

"We better get this evening started." James went with Sirius with the frown still on his face.

"And drink lots of alcohol in the process," Remus grinned. He was excited at the possibility of the women at this thing. They were always older, pretty, and very unsatisfied. Peter smacked palms with Remus as they followed the other two out the door.

* * *

James resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the guy in front of him. Jim-Tim…whoever this guy was had been talking for the last two hours about the same thing. It was midnight and James was bored to death by him. However, he was also offering a five hundred million dollar contract to one of the various companies that the Potters owned so James was stuck. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peter and Remus talking to a few girls. Trust them to find the only girls under fifty at this place. Sirius was sitting in the corner, amusing himself by drawing. That boy would have been an artist if his family had allowed him. As James watched a forty-year-old man walked up to Sirius and stuck out his hand. James resisted the urge to chuckle as he turned his attention back to the man in front of him.

"Thank you," Frank? "Sir, if you would have the time to send the contract to Hogwarts tomorrow, I will certainly look over it and get back to you. I'm afraid that I have to leave now, though. I need to study for a test I have on Monday." James tried to excuse himself politely.

"I'm sure that you'll easily achieve a perfect," the man flattered him.

"Thank you," James said. He shook the man's hand once again and walked away. He told one of the various vice-presidents to go over and talk to the man he had just abandoned. He left another with orders to see the party to its finish and say good-bye to the guests in James's name as they left.

He was walking back to his bedroom when the other three caught up to him. "That was one of your most boring parties yet," Peter informed him. "We must have been the youngest people in there by at least twenty years."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Aren't we always?" He held up the sketch that James had seen him working on. It depicted James talking to that man. In the picture though, all of his features had been exaggerated. The old guy now had a shiny, bald head and had sweat dripping off of him. His lips were huge, the better to suck up to James with.

The other three burst out laughing as Sirius closed his sketchbook. "You have a gift," Remus laughed.

"Yeah," James agreed. He took the tie off his neck and flung it onto his bed. He also discarded his jacket, leaving on the rest of the suit. He collapsed next to his tie and looked at the blue walls surrounding him. "So what did you guys think of mine and Peter's prank on Evans this morning?" he asked with undisguised mirth in his voice.

"Hilarious," Remus said sarcastically. He sat down in a chair opposite James and put his head in his hands. His brown hair flopped into eyes, giving him a more tired look than serious. "You know, by this points your pranks are getting much more juvenile. It's more like pulling a girl's pigtails back in day care. The teasing a boy does to a girl that he likes, because he's too immature to come out and say it." He continued to stare off into space, as if this insight into James's psych wasn't anything important.

James didn't look disturbed at Remus's comment. "She likes me," he insisted. "Not the other way around! Like I would ever fall for a poor girl like that." He scoffed, as if the idea was unimaginable.

Remus sighed inwardly at the comment. It was hard to believe that James, a man so insightful when it came to running his father company and placating the minions that were sent to him, could be so oblivious. "Never," he agreed for James's sake.

Peter, on the other hand, had almost no tact. "She doesn't like you," he laughed. "She punched you and yelled at you. That's generally not the behavior I look for in my girlfriends." He continued laughing at James, seemingly not getting the body signals his friends were throwing off.

"She likes me," James insisted. He stood up, as if to intimidate Peter into agreeing with him. Peter controlled the last of his chuckles, the sound dying off unnaturally. James chose to lean against a bedpost, rather than return to his bed. "Sirius?" James looked at his best friend to back him up.

"Whatever," Sirius answered. "Not my problem. Let's go back to Hogwarts. I could do with some real food." His scowl clearly showed his feelings on the food that had been served at the party.

Peter nodded his agreement and grabbed a handful of floo powder that was kept in a vase next to the fireplace. "Hogwarts, seventh year boys dormitory," he enunciated the words. The others boys watched as he spun.

* * *

Lily fell out of the bed with a resounding thunk. She cried out as her elbow painfully connected with the floor. One or two of the girls that were in the room briefly looked over at her. None of them seemed particularly interested in her predicament other than pausing to laugh. Lily flashed a sarcastic smile at them as she got to her feet. She had been having a nightmare, that part she remembered. She just wished that she could recall what it had been about.

She glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty, there was no way she was going back to sleep now. She might as well sneak down to the kitchen and grab some food. She loved that the house elves always spoiled her. It was a nice change. She wondered if it was hypocritical.

Lily walked over to a mirror and adjusted her hair. She sighed, thinking of when she woke up this morning. Perhaps thinking of how Lily had changed his hair pink (which he had sadly been able to fix before he was seen) James had gotten his revenge. Lily's long, beautiful red hair had been shorn short when she woke up this morning. Most of the people in this school had commented on her hair at least once. Some just commenting to say they thought it was fake, but then they realized she couldn't afford it. It was her pride, her joy, and now it was gone. And the people in school were right; she couldn't afford the money to buy a potion that would grow it back. She fingered the short, shoulder length hair that she bore now. She had attempted to cut it back into some style of fashion, layers maybe, but had failed miserably. Again, something most people felt the need to mention, breaking their no speaking rules. Lily set her face and left the dormitory.

"Lily," someone loudly called her. By that time, Lily was in a deserted corridor that was rarely used by anyone. Her entire reason for taking it was that she didn't think that she would run into someone. She was sick of people this week. She turned around slowly, trying to delay the inevitable moment.

"Kai?"

"Lily," Kai repeated. She rushed up to Lily and bowed her head. She then looked Lily in the eyes with a shameful expression on her face. "I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry and after you stood up for me and everything. I mean that should have been me being bullied by the Marauders. It's just-" Kai babbled.

Lily was aghast. She had no idea what had inspired Kai to do this. For the past few days Kai had avoided Lily like her life depended on it. She hadn't injured Lily, like everyone else in this school was attempting to do, but neither had she helped. Lily had assumed the two would never speak again.

"-my mom," Kai was saying. "I just couldn't be an outcast. If the Marauders mark me as a target then…I don't know what she would do. I can't do that to her. I'm too afraid, Lily. You were always the strong one between us." She started crying. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lily switched from being flummoxed to being slightly annoyed. Lily was the one who had been tortured all week, almost raped, and now Kai was the one crying.

"Here," Kai said. "I know this doesn't make up for anything, but I want you to have it. And thanks. I'm sorry," she repeated. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. With the other, she drew a velvet bag of her pocket and handed it to Lily. "I'm sorry that we can't be friends, Lily, I miss you." With that parting sentiment she turned around and sped down the hallway. She couldn't be seen talking to Lily.

Lily laughed pathetically at the situation. "For what its worth," she called after Kai's retreating figure. "I understand and I forgive you."

Kai stopped and turned around. "Thank you," she said. Her face lit up with a smile as she turned to walk away again. She really did feel guilty, but what could she do?

Lily sadly watched her go. Kai hadn't been the most loyal of friends, but in a place like Hogwarts, Kai was one of the best. What would Lily do now? She turned the pouch over in her hands and felt something hard in it. She idly pulled the strings and upended the contents of the bag into her hand. A silver necklace fell out of it. Lily picked it up and examined the charm. It was a silver doe, shining brightly with some sort of charm. It was beautiful and perfect for Lily. She smiled as she remembered the first time Kai had seen her patronus. She had said it suited her and praised the loveliness of it. It had started their friendship, really. They had bonded as Lily taught Kai how to summon a patronus. Kai's turned out to be a dove, a pretty but unreliable bird. They had been friends ever since. It was ironic that their friendship would start and end with a silver doe.

Lily fastened the chain around her neck and tucked it under her robe. She would wear it always.

She let a tear escape as she continued her walk down to the kitchens.

* * *

James laughed as Remus finished saying something. "Yeah, right."

"No seriously," Remus protested. "I was staying after class one day so I could copy some notes. It was only me and Miss Cades. I was innocently writing and she just started hitting on me. She asked me if I wanted to come over to her house for 'personal tutoring'."

"Wasn't Miss Cades the old one with the wart?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded gravely. "Ew!" Sirius replied.

"They can't all look like Candice," Peter protested. He looked slightly insulted by Sirius's comment.

James read the affronted expression that Peter was wearing. "Wait, did you?"

Peter went silent. "You would have been twelve," James objected.

"No!" Peter stood up for himself. "Nothing happened between us. It's just-I always thought that Miss Cades was a good teacher."

Remus clapped him on the back and laughed some more. The four drew to a halt as a couple founded the corner. The two were giggling and holding hands. They stopped when they saw the males that were in front of them.

"Sirs," the boys said, bowing. The girl mimicked his behavior. They edged towards the wall. The Marauders walked right past them without saying anything.

"That was close," Remus heard the boy whisper. "I'm glad we caught them in a good mood." Remus ignored it and kept walking. On most days, he might have classified that as slightly offensive, but especially at this hour it was not worth his time.

"Remember Mr. Welch?" Peter asked as they drew near the kitchens, effortlessly changing the subject.

Sirius scowled. "He always wanted to improve my artwork, even though he had no idea what he was doing." Sirius looked like this matter personally offended him. Mr. Welch had taught at a primary school they all attended when they were ten. He gave them crayons and told them to go crazy. Peter, James, and Remus always ended up ignoring him and sleeping in the back of the classroom while Sirius had ended up bringing his own art supplies.

James reached out and tickled the pear. He grabbed the handle and stumbled into the kitchen. He turned to face Sirius. "That guy was an idiot." Sirius laughed and nodded his head. What the local newspaper had done to him was revenge enough. They had ridiculed the one piece of artwork that Mr. Welch had ever done. Sirius always wondered if one of the kids had had a part in that humiliation. James turned around and began to walk towards the table that he always sat at when they snuck down to the kitchens. The house elves in front of him moved out of his way, revealing somebody else sitting at his table. He froze at the sight of fiery red hair, the short red hair.

Remus, on the other hand, remained in complete control of his motor skills and vocal cords. "Lily Evans?" He walked over to the table and slid onto a stool, facing her.

Lily looked at him with shock and surprise. She put down the muffin that she had been eating and stood up. One hand flew to necklace at her throat. It was a reminder of what they took from her, even Sirius. They had carelessly destroyed her future at this school. Her eyes turned fiery as she glared at the four boys.

"Didn't expect to see you here," Remus continued. He took one of the pastries that a house elf was holding out to him. He nonchalantly took a bite of it. He acted as if Lily was a friend he wasn't that close with, not someone who had embarrassed him as recently as a day ago.

James had finally regained control of his voice. "Evans," he said arrogantly. He continued to stand there, well Peter and Sirius joined Remus. They both selected food from what the house elves were offering.

Lily spared him a glance before picking up her muffin again. She seemed to have abandoned her seat, instead preferring to lean against the table. She carefully took a dainty bite and swallowed before acknowledging James. "Yes?" she asked.

"You still haven't apologized about the other night," James pointed out. He walked over to the table, not sitting either. He ignored the food, even though he had been starving earlier.

Lily thought the comment was redundant. Did he really think she was going to apologize? "Wasn't planning on it," she answered him bluntly. She looked James in they eyes, vaguely annoyed by the fact that she had to look up. She felt smaller all of a sudden, more fragile. She fingered her hair in an obvious reminder of why she felt no remorse.

James was frustrated. He offered Lily every chance to get back nice with her and she took none of them. It was like she was determined to have him angry at her. What was wrong with this girl? She didn't react like everyone else here did.

"It was amusing," Remus finally spoke after an awkward pause. Lily now kind of understood why he wasn't acting callous. Remus, of all of them, loved a joke. He also was a player, something else that might have factored into his decision. She drew the right conclusion, but for all the wrong reasons. Remus was finally frustrated with James's fascination with her. James was either going to grow up and ask Lily out, or Remus would throw the two of them together by himself.

"Amusing!" Peter gasped. He seemed almost offended by what his friend was saying. "She soiled the Marauder name." Lily knew then he had helped on the vicious prank this morning. She idly wondered how they had bypassed the staircase. All four were prideful, but Peter was the most attached to it. His family had only gained their riches when he was eight; he knew what it was like to be poor so he feared it. He mocked people because they reminded him of what he once was. And he was pretty much James's lackey as a result.

Remus thought of the two kids scraping to them five minutes ago. Clearly their prowess had not diminished in the student's eyes. Of course, that could be partly due to the fact that James had been stomping around all day. He had kicked several people that had been stupid enough to get in his way.

Sirius shrugged. "What do we care?" He grabbed another pastry and stood up. "I'm going back to our room. All the people sucking up at that party left me exhausted." He walked out of the kitchen, Remus and Peter at his heels. They had gotten the food they had come for. Remus dropped his defense of Lily. At the moment it was inconsequential. They walked in silence.

James stayed back, still staring at Lily. He finally sat down, ignoring her. He began plowing through food, in the way only teenage boys can.

Lily stood for a few minutes, not trusting it. She half expected James to fly into a random rage, not ignore her. After a few minutes of wary silence she decided it was her turn to implode instead. Revenge and practical jokes were fun, but Lily was more of the confrontation, get-in-your-face mold. "You cut my hair!" she accused.

James ignored her and continued eating.

Lily really got into her rant. She was determined to make James acknowledge her, turn away from him food. The one thing she had over all the spoiled rich girls, he had taken away. They couldn't buy hair prettier then hers, it just didn't look real. After all their nose jobs, and face jobs, and whatever jobs, Lily still had something that was pretty in comparison and James had destroyed it to sate his anger. "Everything I said about you last night was true. You're nothing but a spoiled boy that doesn't think about what your actions do to other people."

James snapped. He thought about what Remus had said earlier, teasing a girl just because he liked her. Then he thought about Peter's comment. He was aggravated that Lily was yelling at him. If anything, it was Lily that had the immaturity problem. She was the one always screaming at him. But then, by that definition, Lily liked him. He finally turned around and looked her full in the face. He stood up walking closer and closer to her.

"Your opinion of me seems to be very biased, slanted. What do you actually know about me? You say I think I'm better than you because I'm wealthy. What about you? You walk around, acting like you know more than anyone else because you held a job that requires manual labor. I've been working most of my life, manufacturing deals worth millions of pounds. You have your own revenge, too. You thought nothing of embarrassing us last night either and sparing Sirius. Why was that?" James suddenly came to a realization; an epiphany brought on by Lily's intoxicating presence, by the way that she stood up to him. Remus was right, James thought in disgust. The thought was mildly depressing, in things like this Remus normally was.

Lily stepped away from him as he closed in on her. On the other side of the room the house elves were huddling together. They would not get involved in wizard and witch's affair. A few went on baking, acting as if nothing was happening. "He didn't try to have me raped!" she blurted out.

James continued sauntering closer to her. "Neither did any of us. We, all of us, sent you a rose. That was it" He stressed the all. "It was your classmates, people you considered your friends that did everything to you. Friendships crumble so easily around you." He finally had her pinned against the wall. He placed one arm on it, halfway pinning her in. "You challenged me first," he said quietly. Lily had challenged him, and she was the first to succeed, the first to stage an actual rebellion.

Lily was trembling on the inside. The height difference was really noticeable, this close. She tilted her face up. "You would have destroyed Kai, if I hadn't stepped in."

James continued staring into her piercing green eyes. "So it was your friend, after all. I always thought it was weird that you took the blame." He didn't feel any real regret about that particular action. At the time, Kai had injured him. She had to take the consequences of her actions.

"I was being a loyal friend," Lily defended her actions.

"She was so loyal to you in return," James pointed out.

"Nothing would have happened if you weren't so prideful!"

"You always talk about pride," James said with a contemplating tone. His lips turned up in a smile. "How can I be humble enough for you?"

Lily didn't take the question seriously. She would willingly kiss James Potter on the day he did anything selfless or humble. "You cut my hair," she forced out. It was unnerving, having him this close.

James reached up to finger a short lock of Lily's hair. "I like short hair," he replied. "It looks prettier on you."

Lily couldn't respond. She didn't know what to say. She was running out of reasons why she was angry at this selfish, stupid boy standing so near to her. Her mind drifted to Sirius. He had already saved her once, maybe he could be her knight in shining armor again. Sirius was a genuine gentleman.

James leaned in closer to her, taking her silence as some type of agreement. When Lily still didn't say anything, he gently touched his lips to hers. His eyes closed as he kissed her with more passion. The arm that was on the wall went to cradle the back of her neck. He gently pulled Lily into his body. This was the kiss that he had always wanted, the one that those idiotic, fawning girls had never been able to give him. It was full of passion, promising a future filled with happiness, not just money.

Lily was in shell shock as James kissed her. Her mind went blank. She relaxed into the kiss out of sheer reflex. When James pulled her she went willingly. After all his roughness and callous edges, his lips were surprisingly soft. A few seconds passed before she regained her sanity. This was James Potter that was kissing her! The only guy that she truly loathed. Lily drew her right hand back and slapped him. James stumbled backwards, looking confused. Apparently he was suffering the delusion that she had consented to it.

Something to do with the ranting she had been doing earlier? Lily supposed. Who could follow James's thought process? She ran away from him, stumbling in her haste, to the other side of the room. She wanted to be a safe distance from him. She wanted to clear her head.

"How could you!" She screamed. She started walking towards the door. James Potter, the guy that she hated, had kissed her. She couldn't even think it; it sounded too weird. A wild tear escaped her eye, falling down her cheek. The guy that had bullied her mercilessly, acted like he despised her, had stolen her first kiss. She stomped out the kitchen door, still angry. It was a low and dirty thing for even him to do. Of all the despicable things that James had done, somehow this felt the worse. For a moment, when he was complimenting her hair and standing so damn close to her, she had actually convinced herself that he was a likeable person. And, for some reason, she hated that she had been proven wrong. She irritably wiped away the tears falling down her cheek.

James stood completely still in the kitchen. One finger drifted to his mouth, tracing his lips. He had just kissed Lily Evans. That was going to be fun to admit to Remus. Most likely he would crow or do some other ridiculous victory ritual. He walked out of the kitchen with a newly added spring in his step. Something, if the other Marauders had been there, that would have been recognizable. It normally appeared after he spent time with Gwen, or Candice. James had found someone he respected. Lily was full of attitude, but that just made him more determined to control her; like he had always controlled everyone else.

**A.N.  
Okay. That was a long chapter. And I mean long as in it was almost more words than the last two chapters together. I just couldn't find a place to cut it. So for those of you that hate long chapters, sorry, I tried to make it as short as possible. For those of you that love them, glad I could be of service. Thank me with a review, please!! The next chapter might not be out for another week, cuz this one took forever (the original version wasn't very well explained). **

**Props as always to Arya.**

StarsInTheSKy123: **I don't know how many chapters it will be, sorry. I got the plot planned out, but I don't know how long it will take and if I add more later. But it will be long, most likely. I'm not so good at telling short stories. Thanks for the review! **melissa: **Your opinion totally counts. Especially since your a first time reviewers. (I love reviews, can you tell?) I think Chase is going to win, btw. Thanks for the review and compliments! **Anjel **Yep.** **Totally love that drama. Have you read the manga it was based on? Thanks for the review!! **opalshine: Thanks**, I think that name will win. Thanks for the review!** Siriusly-Remused. **love ur pen name. btw. Yeah, I'm surprised that this many people know that manga. Lol. Thanks for the review!**

**Thank ****hunneybee108**** for the name Ian. I thought it made a perfect English butler name, lol. **

**I think Chase will win the vote, but its still open, if you want to change that. **

**Thanks for reading the story! I hope you liked it! And remember, if I haven't said this enough, Review, Review, Review! Please! **

**Next chapter up in about a week, if everything goes as planned. **


	6. Insanity

Insanity 

Lily stumbled outside of the kitchen. She picked herself up and started running. She didn't stop.

* * *

Lily trudged walked out of the Great Hall. She breathed in the fresh air and sighed. The wind around her stirred, catching a few leaves and throwing them into the air. Lily brushed one off of her robe and continued walking. The book in her hand was all she needed for the moment. She was going to forget about last night. On that positive note, she headed in the direction of the trees she had taken shelter in last Tuesday. Of all places, that should make her forget James Potter. Maybe Sirius would be there.

She was still walking through the grass when someone called her name. She groaned; with the exception of Kai, everyone who had stopped her yesterday had wanted to comment on this damnable short hair. Yes, her hair was short. She knew that. She wished people would stop telling her that. "What?"

"Lily, dear," Crystal simpered. Lily immediately wanted to puke. This was not going to be good. Crystal flipped how own luxurious, long blond hair in an obvious reminder. "I love your new hair style," Crystal drawled on.

"Thank you?" Lily asked her answer with a note of confusion in her voice. She fingered her robes and looked down at the ground. Right now, she just wanted to be alone. Lily gathered up her wits and looked up at Crystal with determination in her eyes.

"I've never seen anything quite like it before. It must be a new style; to have you hair look like a dragon burned it." Ah, there was the insult that Lily had expecting. All delivered in a nice, cheery tone too. Crystal laughed at the end of the statement, as if she was complimenting her new friend. "I just thought I'd warn you, James_ hates_ short hair. That's one of the reasons why I grew my so long."

_Shows how much you know about your precious James, _Lily thought. "I don't care. Even more reason to cut it shorter." Lily announced to Crystal. She turned around and continued walking, brushing Crystal off.

"Wait," Crystal called. Her heels sunk deep into the mud as she ran to catch up to Lily. "Are you sure? I heard," She shook her head and looked amused, as if what she was about to say was ridiculous and could never happen, "that you and James," insert another laugh here, a very condescending one, "kissed last night."

This got Lily's attention. She spun around and looked Crystal sharply in the face. "Who told you that?" Her face was turning red. She hated being a red-head sometimes. With this hairstyle it was probably even more glaringly obvious.

Crystal took Lily's arm and started to walk her over to a path of gravel. She wanted to be out of the grass and mud. Nature was for poor people who couldn't afford to live in cities. She squirmed inside as her heels got even more covered in it. "Amy told me this morning. It seems she heard it from a house-elf. They came to tell her the news." She leaned closer to whisper to Lily in a hushed tone, as if this was the big secret. "She paid them off to tell her the interesting gossip."

People actually did that? Lily was kind of surprised at that information. She passed it off as the eccentricities of the rich.

"So?" Crystal finally asked when it became clear that Lily wasn't going to speak.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Did you really kiss James?" Crystal exhaled the question. Blood was rushing to her face, somehow making her appear even more vulture like.

"No!" Lily fervently denied the accusation. The wind continued whipping around, tossing her hair as shouted her denial. "_He _kissed me," she explained, knowing that Crystal wasn't going to believe it, that she wouldn't want to. It was a desperate last attempt to kill the rumor before it could begin.

Crystal looked down at Lily; a cruel glint in her eye, but when she spoke her was sympathetic, as if speaking to an insane person. It was condescending, false reassurance, as if not sure what the true words would do. "Why would James want to kiss you, dear? He is way above your station. I'm sure he wouldn't stoop to kiss a commoner."

By the time Crystal reached the end of her sentence, Lily was livid. This was another attribute that she had always pinned on being a red-head, some type of excuse. She was quick to blush and quick to anger. She would like to think that she was quick to forgive as well, but lately she had been prone to holding grudges.

"But yet," Lily spoke her words deliberately, weighing each of them. She spoke softer than Crystal had, so that the blonde was forced to lean close to her them, "he would kiss the ugly commoner before he would deign to kiss you."

Lily had the satisfaction of seeing Crystal's face turn pale from shock. She could imagine what was running through Crystal's head. The little commoner had the nerve to insult her. Ha! Lily felt vindicated. She walked back onto the grass, wanting to head toward her tree now more than ever.

Lily made a mistake though. The people at Hogwarts were pampered, true, but they were still fully-trained witches and wizards. Crystal was a seventh-year, able to draw on the same magic as Lily. And Lily had turned her back on her opponent, an advantage that Crystal was willing to take full advantage of.

_Levicorpus._

Crystal waved her wand and cast the nonverbal spell. Lily was immediately dangled upside down, her robes flying only to her knees before she managed to grab it with her hands and hold them there. She felt stupid as she watched her wand hit the ground. It made no noise when it landed on the grass, laying there, a single mark of black on the green. She assumed the dramatic music that always plays whenever a stupid person in a movie walks into the room was only in her head.

"Still sticking to the story that he kissed you?" Crystal asked in a snotty tone. She held her wand higher, as if to further demonstrate her power over her head.

Lily vehemently spit out a word she wouldn't have dared say in front of the professors. She had forgotten that just 'cause James seemed to be stalker-worthy obsessed with her, didn't mean that the rose still didn't stand. The rest of the school was still against her, Crystal especially so.

Crystal waved her wand, casting another spell that Lily didn't hear. Lily began to spin in the air. Lunch was beginning to feel like a bad idea. "There is no way," Crystal began to say, in a hard, determined tone. She sounded like Lily's words were a personal insult against her, which they were, "that he would kiss you! Why would he want to be with a girl that already had three abortions was pregnant again!?" She had slipped into hysterics by now.f Her wand was moving faster and faster, having the same effect on Lily. She couldn't take it much longer. Lily _really _wished that she had her wand right now. At least she knew who had sent those letters to everyone. The silver lining? "Why would he want an ugly, common slut when he could have me?" Crystal voice was cracking, her blond hair covering her face. Tears streaked down her red face.

_This girl was insane_, Lily realized. She was so fixated on James that she thought James reciprocated the feelings. She was acting like a scorned wife. That was her last thought as Crystal began to spin her faster in the air.

All of a sudden the spinning ceased. Lily was lowered gently to the ground. She dove for her wand, thinking that Crystal wanted to screw with her some more. She made it about two inches before the earth around her started spinning on its own accord. Lily fell to the ground, completely disoriented.

"What are you doing?" Lily heard a voice roaring from her position on the ground.

"James!" Crystal said desperately. She quickly dropped her wand. Her hands went to fix her hair, before she realized it was a lost cause. She threw herself on James, wrapping her arms around him. "This girl," she stuttered through tears still falling on her face, "said that you kissed her."

James hadn't really been planning on admitting that. He had hoped he could keep it a secret…until Lily finally admitted that she had been the one in love with him. "So?" James asked Crystal. He shoved her away from him in disgust. Crystal hit the ground hard. Her expensive robe got streaked with grass.

"She can't get away with saying that stuff about you. She's smearing your reputation!" Crystal protested. She was kneeing on the grass by then; tears falling for a different reason by now.

"So?" James repeated. This girl was beginning to bore him. In the mood he was in, that was dangerous for her. "It's your job to protect me now?" He looked down at her with loathing. "Do you think I need to be protected?" As he spoke, his words got quieter, more measured. It was an impossible question to answer.

Crystal opted into silence, disturbing it only with her sobs. After a few moments of dangerous silence, time which Lily took to collect herself, Crystal finally dared to speak. First she picked herself off the ground, not daring to look up at James. Then she ran her fingers through her, by now matted, blond hair. Leaves and dirt came pouring out. Finally she spoke in a cracking voice, only after it became obvious that James wasn't going to speak until she did.

"James, I-I-I love you. I'd do anything for you. We were meant to be together" She said this in a stuttering tone, but completely sincere. Her voice was full of deranged passion.

James stepped away from Crystal, not wanting to be touched again. He raised one hand, his wand hand, his right hand. "You know," he said as if contemplating it. As he continued talking his tone got harder, lower. "I can't count how many girls have said that to me. How many other girls are convinced that we are destined to be together? None of them, however, were as deranged as you though. Congratulations." Even Lily, still trying to stand up, heard the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Crystal stepped closer to him, no longer frightened, only possesse, and dejected. A bad combination. "But James. How can you say that? I lo-"

_Crack_

Crystal flew down to the ground again, a hand pressed against her very red cheek. James stood above her. A terrible, threatening image with the sun behind him, reflecting against his back. To Crystal, he appeared a black outline, surrounded by light. Almost an avenging angel. Almost.

"Never," James spoke clearly, "say that again." The threat was there, even if it was not voiced. _Say that again and you will regret it for the rest of your life. _"And let me make this clear. You have no permission to ever threaten Lily Evans on my behalf or anyone else's again."

Lily heard James walking away, not processing where he was going until she felt an arm around her shoulder, gently lifting her up. She felt herself being carried for several yards, until she was set down on a bench. When she threatened to tip over the side, James caught her with an arm around her waist.

"Lily, are you alright?" His voice was gentle now. Almost unrecognizable from the voice that had spoken earlier.

Lily cradled her head in her hands. She groaned slightly, staring out at the grounds, trying to make them stay still. Lily closed her eyes after a few seconds. They sat for a few minutes in silence. A serene moment; a peaceful one.

After five minutes or so, Lily regained her equilibrium. She was able to stand up, demonstrating this ability with an odd sense of pride.

"Are you alright?" James repeated the question.

Lily nodded her head, pleased that she was able to do that as well. "I'll be fine," she answered gruffly. She began to walk away from him, intent on finding her book and wand. She had dropped them when Crystal had begun her crusade. She hoped that Crystal had left the area by now. That would be awkward.

James stood up and jogged to catch up to her. "Here," he proffered the missing book and wand. "Looking for these?"

Lily nodded again and continued to walk away from him. James, who had stopped to hand her the items, was forced to jog to catch up again. "Well?" he asked her expectantly.

"Well what?" Lily asked. She finally ceased walking to turn and look him in the face.

"Aren't you going to say thank you?" James asked, offended. He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it even more than its already disheveled state.

"No," Lily answered bluntly. "What do I have to thank you for?"

"I saved you from that obviously mental girl?" James yelped.

"I wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't sent me that damnable rose," Lily pointed out. "She was acting on what she thought was your encouragement."

James seemed to be stricken silent at this argument, so Lily walked away from him again. James thought of an argument a few seconds later and, once again, jogged up to her. "I've told her to do something as extreme as that!" He defended himself. "And I told her never to do that again."

"Ah, yes," Lily didn't face him; she didn't look at him. "You told a girl that was in love with you and would have done anything for you, never to say she loved you again. After you slapped her. What chivalry." She mocked what he had done. Lily had never thought she would see the day that she was defending Crystal. The unimaginable had occurred. It was a testament to how much she hated James at the moment.

For his part, James looked shocked. He had been expecting a thank you. After all, Sirius had gotten one when he saved her. "Fine," he answered her, "I won't bother saving you next time, Evans." He strode off, leaving Lily alone.

James was pissed at Lily all over again. He had saved her and she was being ungrateful. As if he should have left her there! That girl even had complaints about how she had been saved! He gritted his teeth together and contented himself by glaring at a couple of second-years. The boys ran off so fast, they dropped their books. James smiled grimly and went off in search of another Marauder.

It didn't strike him as ironic that the one girl he wouldn't have slapped for saying "I love you," was the one girl that seemed like she never would.

* * *

Lily collapsed next to the tree she had been searching for over. She opened her book and began to read, losing herself in the pages.

"Hey."

Lily jumped a foot in the air. Her book fell to the ground, forgotten, as Lily tried to slow her heartbeat. She looked around in panic, wondering who had intruded.

"Wow," Sirius said. He held out his hands, palms out, as if to calm her down. "It's just me." He laughed slightly at Lily's reaction.

Lily took a deep breath and calmed down slightly. "How did I miss you?" she complained. She wondered if it was hypocritical that she was speaking to Sirius, that she liked Sirius, when he had been responsible for the rose too. The difference was, Lily decided, Sirius simply wasn't as egotistical as James was. If anything, Sirius was the bad boy that needed to be saved, the irresistible lure.

"You were reading pretty intently," Sirius told her. He looked curiously at her book. Lily held it up to show him the spine. "Aw, a classic," Sirius murmured. He relaxed against the maple behind him. His jet black hair was casually scruffy, a look James would never be able to achieve.

Lily was surprised. "You've read it?"

Sirius tilted his head. "Of course. All part of the wealthy person's education." He scowled as he said the last part.

Lily smiled as at his facial expression. So rich life wasn't exactly perfect? She sat there for a moment, wondering what Sirius's past included. Sirius seemed comfortable with the silence; it wasn't awkward with him. It was serene, peaceful. She wasn't always fighting with him.

Finally Sirius spoke. "How did you get those dirt marks all over your robe?" He looked at the robe in distaste, as if the dirtiness displeased him. His own outfit was impeccably clean, even though it was rumpled.

Lily glanced ruefully down at her robe. She would never be able to save it. "Crystal dropped me from several feet in the air," she said offhandedly. She waved a hand, as if it wasn't a big deal, an everyday occurrence.

And that was it. Sirius didn't act angry; didn't jump to defend her honor.

"So why aren't you in Hogsmeade?" Lily asked. After all, the Marauders had arranged for the school to be allowed to go this weekend. Lily figured that they would all be their, blowing their money on useless things.

Sirius shrugged, the action made minimal. "I never wanted to go," he explained. He started to tear up a leaf that was on the ground, as if he needed something to do with his hands. "I simply wanted the grounds to be empty, more tranquil."

Lily smiled wryly. "You don't like people all that much, do you?"

"Never saw much use for them," Sirius replied sincerely. "Most of the people I meet only want my money and scrape down to me. They're annoying."

"That's a pessimistic view."

"An honest one," Sirius countered. "I doubt half the people around here are as social as they pretend."

Lily began to pick herself up from the ground. If Sirius disliked people so much, she didn't want to bother him.

Sirius looked startled at her motion. "I don't mind talking to you," Sirius told her. He tilted his head to one side, evaluating her. "You're not like most girls, Lily Evans." His tone held no insult, no compliment either. It was simply an observation.

Lily sat back down on the ground, not sure how to take his comment. Eventually, she decided not to respond to it. Instead she continued talking to him. It had been a while since anyone at school had deigned to talk to her civilly. It was nice to have a conversation and Sirius certainly was interesting. She smiled and relaxed into the conversation.

Unknown to the duo, May silently stood watching. She had watched Crystal's humiliation in dismay. Somehow, May knew, Crystal was going to find a way to blame that one her. Maybe these pictures would make it up someway; or at least make Crystal less irritable. May smirked and raised her camera.

_Click_

**A/N**

Yeah! Normal length chapter. Thank you for all of the reviews last chapter! You guys are the best.

Props as always to Arya for being a brilliant Beta.

**opalshine:** Know the feeling. Book inspire an unrealistic expectance of men. Sigh. I'm glad you liked it. Real friends. Lets see. They were supposed to come in this chapter. But then I got side tracked. And the plot didn't work. So nice person next chapter and her friend, I want to say two chapters, but don't hold me to it. Thanks for the review!! **Colio:** Chase won. I'm pretty sure. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review! **halfbloodhannah:** Thanks. I'm glad its entertaining. Thanks for the review! **melissa:** Yeah. I love them too. But they take forever to write. Lol. Thanks for the review!! **Anjel:** Yeah. I keep imagining him that way too. I want James to have straight hair, but the hair in the manga was hilarious. I'm glad I'm not the only one that keeps slipping and thinking that way. Thanks for the review!!

Like I said, thanks for the reviews! Oh, Crystal got most of a chapter, because has anyone noticed I have a lot of guys characters, and only one girl that is actually likeable. Crystal isn't likeable, but shes a girl...? Oh well, a 'nice' girl makes it in next chapter and stays for a while. Chase, which I think pretty much won, gets introduced in two chapters from now, maybe three, cuz the plot got sidetracked. Thanks for reading. I hope you liked.

Review, please!!


	7. That Damnable Pride

**That Damnable Pride**

"Hey," Lily greeted softly. She walked up behind Sirius and put her back against the same tree. She slid down it until she was seated on the ground next to him.

"Hi," Sirius returned the greeting. Since their serendipitous meeting six days ago, Lily had returned a lot to these trees. Sometimes Sirius was here and sometimes he wasn't. It was a nice, tranquil place; a haven since everyone at school was still harassing her…with the exception of Crystal, of course. James still hadn't called off that ridiculous wilted rose. She hadn't seen much of James in person this week. In classes, certainly, but not outside of class. At least, not for any length of time.

And, Lily admitted, she liked talking to Sirius. She glanced down at the drawing he currently held in his hands. It was another of that girl she had seen earlier. Candice, Lily remembered. Sirius always seemed to be drawing a portrait of her, whether she was simply tucked into the background or the main focus of the sketch.

"I have to say, I'm a little bit jealous," Lily said out loud.

Sirius looked up at her. "Of what?" he asked.

"You're always sketching, but you've never sketched a picture of me," Lily teased him. She said it in a light, joking tone. She didn't want Sirius to think that she was serious. She didn't know how to define their relationship, she wasn't even sure if they had one.

Sirius stared at her for a few seconds, thinking. From most girls he would have thought the comment was self-centered, no matter the context. Lily seemed different though. She didn't mean it in a self-absorbed way; she was genuinely just teasing him. Finally, he picked up his charcoal and made a few quick lines on his paper. When he was done he handed it to Lily.

Lily quickly glanced at it before laughing. "Is that seriously what you think I look like?" She held up the caricature that Sirius had drawn. It showed her with her hands on her hips, screaming. Her face was shaded in, meant to be red. Her hair was scruffy and ragged.

Sirius shrugged. "It's what you look like around James," he pointed out. He flipped his sketch book closed, devoting his attention to Lily instead. In one hand he played with a twig, idly flipping it. One piece of his black hair fell, covering his left eye.

"I do-" Lily defended herself. Then she stopped. He was telling the truth. It seemed like whenever she had a conversation with James, she was yelling at him. When she thought he had sent the letters, the attempt at strip poker, when he kissed her, saved her. The list seemed never ending at the moment. "Alright, I do. But he deserves it," she protested.

"Never denied it," Sirius answered. James didn't need Sirius to defend him. Sirius glanced down at his watch. His family was rich and influential in the Muggle world as well as the magical one. As a result, Sirius often had the best technology of both.

He stood up and began to walk away. "Where are you going?" Lily asked, falling into step beside him.

"To meet someone," Sirius answered. "Candice, actually. Are you sure you want to come? James will be there," he teased. All of a sudden a girl came flying past them. Sirius, who had been looking at Lily, bumped into her. "Excuse me," he said politely. The girl ignored him, clutching a camera closer to her chest. He forgot the occasion as soon as she passed.

Lily grimaced. "I think I'll just go back to the dorm and work on McGonagall's homework." Lily wanted to meet Candice, to see the woman that Sirius was so obviously in love with, but she did _not _want to have to deal with James at the moment.

Sirius brushed his air out his eyes. To a casual observer, it was a benign gesture. Lily noticed the small smile he wore while he was doing it, though. Sirius was excited about this, she realized. And not just excited as in I got an O on a homework assignment. This was the most excited she had ever seen them. Candice must be really close to him. Lily felt a tiny bit jealous. She was glad to see him happy, she lied to herself. She already knew she was going to hate Candice.

"You know, if you're having difficulties you could always ask James to help you," Sirius suggested. The expression he wore was still uninterested, detached. Lily couldn't tell if he was being serious.

Remus walked up during the latter half of Sirius's comment and burst out laughing. Lily decided it was safe to assume he was joking. "I'll see you later." She departed, intent, for once, on actually doing what she had told him she was. Homework was a drag. She was about a half dozen feet away when she heard Remus also say good-bye to Sirius. He started off after her. Lily got his intent and slowed her walk until he caught up. "What are you doing?" she asked him, her curiosity piqued.

Remus's eyebrows furled. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't James hazing anyone who dares talk to me?" Lily asked. That was part of the wilted rose. No one talked to the person who had received, or risked being alienated. It had become a kind of game to say hi to Lily in the hallway when none of the Marauders were around. Sirius got away with it, Lily assumed, since they only talked out in their area.

Remus shrugged and laughed. "I got bored of that," he responded, as if being bored was reason enough. In his world, it was. He looked serious all of a sudden; an expression that was at odds with his normally cheerful, flamboyant behavior. Well, except those times every month when he was sick. "Besides James is getting frustrating in his immaturity." And the moment was gone. Remus was back to smiling and laughing, the cheerful rich stereotype Lily had always pictured him to be. Lily had to smile that anyone would so blatantly defy James and not care. Marauder's privilege, she figured. "So tell me you're secret," Remus good-naturedly demanded.

"What secret?" Lily asked oblivious.

"Sirius teased you." Remus acted like this was a big deal. To him, it was. Outside of the four of them and Candice, of course, Sirius never opened up. He never talked to anyone, let alone joked with them. If James was the immature one, than Sirius was withdrawn, reserved. He cared about them, not about anyone else. It was good for him, to have someone. Remus only wondered how Lily got to be that someone when he never saw them speaking. "How did you get him to open up?"

Lily shrugged in reply, slightly embarrassed. "We just talk," she answered him without any eloquence.

Remus studied her silently. They walked for a while. Lily was just about to ask him what he wanted when Remus finally spoke again. "What are you doing today?"

It was six o'clock. Dinner had just ended, and like Lily had told Sirius, she was going to do her homework. "Nothing," Lily answered vaguely.

Remus smiled. "Come on. I want you to meet someone. She reminds me a lot of you. Well, less than Gwen does, but still. I think you would like to her." He smiled like a little a boy who had just told his mom a, in his opinion, great joke. Remus grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her off. For a second Lily debated grabbing her wand before deciding it was hopeless. Remus acted like an idiot sometimes, but he was still a powerful wizard. Lily could duel him evenly, she just didn't have the energy to at the moment. It was easier to play along. Besides, she was kind of interested in meeting Candice. At least, she assumed it was Candice Remus wanted her to meet.

As soon as they got near the other Marauders, Remus released his grip on Lily. He strolled up next to them. Lily watched one by one as they leaned down to kiss a girl. The girl out of Sirius's picture; Candice.

"Candice," James greeted with obvious joy. He held out his arms and gave Candice an earnest hug. He released her with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're back."

"It's great to see you, James," Candice said as she Peter engulfed her in another hug and kiss.

The last person to greet her was Sirius. He stayed on the fringe of the group. Candice swept towards him. This time she was the one to start the embrace. Sirius vigorously returned the hug. His much larger stature enfolded her. She pressed her head into his shoulder; Sirius's head rested on top of her. "I've missed you," Sirius whispered. "You need to stop leaving." His voice rang with sincerity.

Candice stepped back. "I have to earn money somehow," she protested. With a graceful gesture, she swept her hair behind her ear. It was long brown hair. It contained a slight curl, perfect for old fashioned styles, framing her face flawlessly.

Remus laughed at Candice's excuse. "Like your parents wouldn't give you millions of pounds if you but asked." He seemed to remember Lily all of a sudden, glancing back in her direction. "There's someone I wanted you to meet," he said. He waved Lily over, with an overdone gesture.

Lily walked up shyly, not wanting to meet either James's or Sirius's eyes. "Candice, this is Lily." Remus introduced with a big grin on his face.

"Hi," Candice said politely. She shook Lily's hand warmly and looked at her like she was an old friend. "I'm Candice Dales."

Lily was slightly dazed. Candice was even prettier in real life. "Lily Evans," she managed to reply,

"It's nice to meet you, Lily," Candice said. She looked around the group before speaking again. "You guys want to go get something to eat and catch up?"

Peter nodded his consent. "Sounds good." The five started to walk off the grounds, towards Hogsmeade.

Lily continued to stand where she was. They were leaving Hogwarts. It was a Friday evening and they were leaving Hogwarts. If they weren't filthy rich, she was betting they would have been expelled by now. "Aren't you coming, Lily?" Candice called.

"Yes," Remus insisted. "Of course she's coming."

Lily looked at James to gauge his reaction. When James noticed, he turned his head away. Instead, he looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet Lily's eye. "Great, it's settled then," Candice said, noting Lily's expression. For a moment Lily wondered when she had actually agreed. Finally, after shrugging, Lily walked along with them. It was her month for being bold, trying new dangerous things; she might as well.

"So how was Russia?" Peter asked Candice pleasantly.

Candice rolled her eyes. "Same old. Creepy guys and boring scripts." Candice shrugged. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "So tell me, how have things in Hogwarts changed?" She meant Lily, obviously. That was the only thing that had changed.

Remus shrugged. "Same old," he repeated back to her, laughing slightly when Candice glared at him. Candice turned to Sirius with a pout on her face. Sirius shook his head in silent apology and laughed too.

Candice glared at them and turned to Lily. "So Lily dear, tell me about yourself. You're a seventh year?" With that she linked arms with Lily and began to lead her away from the rest of the group.

Lily grew slightly flustered. "Umm…yeah," she answered.

"What classes are you taking?" Candice asked, genuinely interested in. Lily listed all of the classes that she was enrolled in. It was the usual classes required to be an Auror. Not a well paying job, like all of the graduates of Hogwarts would vie for, but a respectable one. "Slughorn, huh?" Candice asked when Lily finished. Lily nodded. "Have you joined 'Slug Club'?" A grimace twisted Candice's perfect features when she spoke the term.

"No," Lily replied quickly. She shook her head earnestly to deny the accusation. Candice laughed at how vigorously Lily went about rejecting the association. Lily finally stopped. "Why, were you?" She asked, suddenly realizing that that might be considered insulting.

"No. I always found various ways of escaping. I had a lot of acting jobs at the time, so that helped," Candice told her. Lily wasn't at all surprised to find out that this girl was an actress. Model would have been more fitting perhaps, but an actress worked just as well. Candice winked at Lily, "They were very conveniently scheduled." Lily thought about her own 'homework,' and laughed. It was nice, she realized, talking to a girl again. Almost like an actual friendship. Like the pre-Rose days. "So what are your hobbies?" Candice continued on her quest to find out more about Lily. She did it partly because her interest had been piqued by a girl hanging out with the Marauders. More so, it was out of authentic curiosity; she had taken a liking to this girl already.

The group walked into a bar, located somewhere in London. Remus had insisted that they Apparate to the place, blocking Lily are numerous refusals. In the end, Candice had taken Lily with side-along Apparation. Lily had been left feeling like she wanted to puke; that style of traveling definitely did _not _agree with her.

Sirius slid into the seat after Candice, Remus on her other side. Lily followed him, leaving James to sit next to her. Lily was obviously irked; James's feelings weren't quite so obvious. Peter raised her hand, motioning for the bar tender to bring them drinks. "So," Peter inquired, "did you meet any guys in Russia?"

Candice laughed, a deep-throated laugh, as if the idea of her meeting a guy there was ridiculous. "Only the creeps," she replied, restating her earlier opinion. "Besides," she reached over and brushed Sirius's hair out of his face, "you four know that you will always be my favorite."

Lily began to feel uncomfortable, as if she hadn't been already. This was obviously a reunion of people who had been friends since childhood. As if to prove it, Remus spoke up. "You did meet that one guy in, what was it, Mexico City?"

Candice groaned. "Don't remind me," she begged. "What about you four?" She changed the subject, "Any new girls in the last month or so?" She looked at Peter and Remus, cutting off the answers they had prepared. "Changing question, any girls that lasted longer than a day?"

Peter and Remus shut their mouths and shook their heads in unison, causing Candice to laugh again. "James?" Again, a shake of the head. James wasn't going into it; not here, not now.

"Sirius?" Sirius shook his head as well, not only in denial but in pain. "There's never been any girl, Candice. You know that." He spoke the words in rote, as if they had been spoken many times before. But anyone could sense the pain and longing in his voice. 'There's never been any girl,' he had said. The underlying words bore a different meaning: _you_ were the girl. Candice nodded slightly, as she always did when she received this answer.

The bar tender finally arrived, bearing the drinks that Peter had requested. He handed them out; the usual that they always ordered. He gave Lily the same thing, assuming that Peter had wanted that. Lily frowned at the liquor in front of her until James had glanced at her in silent laughter. She took it as a challenge and took a sip of the thing. It burned going down her throat.

"So tell us something about Russia?" James finally requested, to break the silence.

"You've been there," Candice replied. "What is there to tell?"

"No directors hitting on you this time?" Peter urged her to talk.

Candice leaned forward, as if confiding a secret. "Well, there was this one actor…"

* * *

James walked outside in the fresh air, wanting to clear his head. It had been a long week; being forced to sit next to Lily had only amplified that. His mom had been bugging him about the company again. She didn't like that he had left the party early. She had wanted him to stay and entertain the guests. He had shrugged when he had received that particular letter. It wasn't like he had cared much about what she thought; like he had ever cared. And she wouldn't send him a howler, wouldn't want to embarrass the family name like that. He walked more quickly, trying to block out his own thoughts.

"Excuse me? Mr. Potter?" A balding man called out James's name. He was roughly 5'7'', paling next to James's height. The green suit he was wearing emphasized the clownish look he was giving off. "Sir?" He called out louder, when James didn't stop.

James finally turned around, frowning when he saw the man behind him. He didn't recognize the man. The stranger stuck out his hand. James shook, not bothering to even attempt to hide his displeasure. "My name is Tim Resin. I work for R.P.S. I was wondering if we could talk."

James dropped he was shaking quickly. "Talk to my father," he told him gruffly. He stood there, hoping he would be lucky enough that Tim would just walk away. He wasn't.

"I was hoping I could talk to you instead," Tim replied stupidly, not catching the malice in James's voice. "My company-"

James cut him off with no apology. "Meaning you tried to talk to my father and his minions rejected you. I fail to see why that means I should have to listen to you dribble on. Your company, in all odds, will fail within the next year. If, and this is a very big if, it is still around in a few years when I take over part of the company, you can attempt to schedule an appointment with me. And then, when my minions rebuff you, hopefully you will get the hint." He glared at Tim.

Tim quivered, drops of sweat hitting his ridiculously green suit. "Sir, if you will just hear me out, I think we could come to a very profitable arrangement."

"Is this the part where you attempt to bribe me?" James asked.

Tim was finally beginning to loose it. He had lost the draw at the office and had been sent to try and talk to James. They had all been warned about how arrogant he was. He had been told at all costs to avoid irritating him. His Christmas bonus was dependent on making this deal and this little boy was going to ruin him. "Profit for your company, of course," Tim tried to soothe James over.

"I'm bored now," James said. He turned away from the man.

"Sir, listen to me!" Tim placed a hand on James's shoulder, a superficial attempt to stop him.

James reacted like he always did. He grabbed the man's wrist and held him in an impenetrable grip. He spun around, so he was once again facing him. With his free hand, he punched him in the stomach. By now he was holding Tim up, the man being incapable of standing. James repeated the blow to the stomach before releasing his grip. Tim crumpled to the ground. James let him stay there for a moment, coughing and attempting to catch his breath. Finally James leaned down and grabbed the front of the man's shirt. "Don't ever come running to me again. More importantly, don't ever touch me!" He threw Tim back to the ground and walked away, heading back to the pub.

"Nice," he heard a voice comment.

He was about to pull his wand on the person before Lily stepped out of the shadows. "Lily?"

Lily fell into step beside. "You go from assaulting girls to working men," she commented wryly.

James shook his head. "He grabbed me first."

"Whatever," Lily shrugged her shoulders.

James was intent on defending himself this time. "I've seen a million men like him. They aren't important enough to rate face time with my father. Instead, they come to me, hoping that I'll get them in. They attempt to bribe me with gifts worth less than my shoes. Than they flatter me outrageously and pitch me an idea that will lose my company a lot of money. When I say no, they change their opinion abruptly. I'm suddenly the arrogant little boy who can't be trusted to make a decision." He looked Lily in the eyes. "It's easier to get them to go away before."

Lily wondered if this was true. She decided to let it go, for now. She owed James one anyway, even if she wasn't going to admit it to him. He had saved her, once, and she had acted the ingrate. He deserved it, of course. "You _are_ arrogant," she pointed out. She swayed a little as she said it.

"You are drunk," James said, almost laughing at her predicament.

Lily looked shocked. "I only had a few drinks," she protested. She concentrated at walking in a straight line. She wasn't drunk, merely buzzed, she told herself.

"What we were drinking?" Lily nodded. "You're drunk," James repeated his assessment. They had been drinking very strong, very magical drinks. If you weren't used to them, a few was all you needed. If you had never had them before, and Lily hadn't, even just two was enough to make drop you unconscious. The effect would take a while, but it would happen. James hoped that someone had stopped her after the first one. He had walked out about the time she had been finishing it.

"Tipsy," Lily said.

"Whatever." James walked next to her for a while in silence. The first silence they had actually occurred between them.

"So how is Quidditch?" Lily asked.

Now James was certain that Lily was drunk. She would never have been civil to him in normal circumstances. "Can't find a keeper," he told her anyway.

Lily nodded her head, like she understood. She didn't actually follow Quidditch that well. "So why did you do it?" She asked, changing the subject abruptly and rather confusingly.

James furled his eyebrows. "Do what?"

"Send me the rose?" Lily clarified. "You knew it wasn't me who had created the potion." One hand reached up to touch the doe at her neck. She was angry, she remembered through the haze. James had destroyed her friendship. Her hair fell into her face. Absentmindedly, she brushed it away.

"Someone had to be punished," James replied. "No one can get away with injuring the Marauders."

_That damnable pride._

James looked almost like he regretted it now. He turned his head away, looking at a restaurant before turning back to Lily. "Besides, you survived, right? No one has ever survived the rose before, not for this long, and you did."

Lily was beginning to sway a little bit more, the alcohol taking even more of an effect on her than she would ever admit. "I shouldn't have had to," she mumbled. The scenery around her began to spin. Lily stumbled a few steps. James leaned forward, extending an arm to catch her before she could fall. That was when Lily lost it, quite literally.

"Ew!" James shouted. He looked down at the puke covering his shoes and pants. Clothes that probably cost more than Lily's parents made all year. Lily was probably glad she had short hair now, came the ironic thought. Otherwise her hair would have been covered in the same. Despite that, he didn't drop Lily. He continued to hold her until she was steady enough to stand up by herself. He felt a protective urge suddenly; as if he had to watch over her.

An old man in an alley apparently noticed Lily's inebriated state as well. "Hey, girly," he shouted. He pulled out his wallet and waved it at her. "Why don't you come over here and join me. I bet I could sober you up real nice." He had noticed Lily's ragged robes. He gathered the conclusion that she was a cheap, drunk whore.

Lily, still shaking slightly, put her hand into her pocket. She pulled out her wand. The beggar, being a Muggle, didn't realize what that meant for him. "I'll buy you some more drink instead, if you want," he continued speaking.

James reached for his own wand, not wanting to have to get close enough to beat up this guy by hand. If he had to, he would be forced to leave Lily standing here all by herself.

Lily was faster. She mumbled a simple spell, one she had known since first-year. It was effective enough on this guy. He was instantly asleep. She muttered another spell and his clothes disappeared. She wouldn't be saved. Not again. Not by James.

"You throw up on me but you can still do that," James grumbled.

Lily turned to him with a grin on her face. She was replacing her wand in her pocket when the alcohol had its final effect. She collapsed.

James caught her easily, a chaser's reflex. He carried her back to the pub where his friends were. He carried her gently, carefully. An observer might have said it was a lover's embrace.

**A/N**

I figured I would post this one on Thursday to change things up. Next chapter should be posted the following Friday I think. I thought Lily and James should have a nice moment. But Lily saved herself.

**Tazaloo:** thanks. I'm trying. Thanks for the review! I hoped you liked the update. **the muddy worm**: Lol. Love your name. Where did you get the inspiration. Thanks for the review! **Melissa:** Yep. Crystal evil. I was kinding thinking she was like Bellatrix, oddly enough. You know, in love with a guy that doesn't love her back and treats her evilly. Likes torturing people. You see it or am I insane? I loved the long review! Thanks! I'm glad you liked the one, not to sound weird but it was my favorite too. **Annna**: Yeah! I loved that you reviewed all of the chapters. I hoped you liked the Lily James moment. Thanks for the review! **Anonymous:** Yep. Lily can take care of herself though. I felt kind of bad having James rescue her. Thanks for the review!! **Opalshine**: Dang. Your physic or I'm obvious. You got most of it right. Lily and James in the end though, lol. I like the image of Lily getting up and smacking him and falling. Funny picture. James is still kind of evil. Getting better? For the next two chapter and then he progresses. Thanks for the review!

Anyways. Everyone thanks for the review. I hope you liked Candice. She's supposed to be the nice girl character. It was another long chapter, so yeah?

Props as always to Arya; an amazing Beta.

And in case you can't tell by now, I love reviews so please hit the button and make my day. It'll make me want to update. Oh, and my random comment. I don't know if anyone out there reads Twilight. If you haven't ignore this. But the characters that are cast in the movie. Do you like them, hate them? Think any of the guys are hot? My friends and I were talking about it and I wondered what everyone thought.


	8. Lils

* * *

Disclaimer. Finally.

Okay, I just wanted to clear some things up. First of all, obviously, I do not own HP. But I'm basing my plot, albeit loosely, on Hana Yori Dango aka Boys Over Flowers aka Meteor Garden. Sorry if I confused anyone.

**Lils**

"Aargh!" James shouted. He fell out of bed, hitting the ground with a resounding thunk. His head, elbow, and knee had connected with the floor at the same time. He picked himself up from the ground, attempting and failing to retain some of his dignity, and glared at Sirius. "What are you doing?"

Prior to James's spectacular wipeout, Sirius had been standing next to James's bed. He was completely dressed in a pair of designer jeans and a stripped button down shirt. A few seconds later and he would have woken James up, presumably in a way preferable to James's method of falling. However, Sirius's presence had been enough to wake James up. And waking up to someone staring at you: not pleasant.

Sirius snickered. He tucked his jet black hair behind his ear and smiled slightly. The smile reached his eyes, for once. "Let's go," he prompted.

James glared at him again before realizing that Sirius didn't care. "Where?" James finally broke down and asked.

"Candice," Sirius replied.

James nodded his head, as if that was all the explanation needed. In this case, it was.

* * *

Remus and Peter met them by the exit. As they walked, Remus waved to McGonagall, currently absorbed in the business of rounding up the third-years. McGonagall returned the greeting, looking somewhat frazzled. The thirteen and fourteen year olds crowded around her, jostling for the best position. When they had gotten Remus's attention they stopped, immediately. McGonagall didn't want to admit it, but sometime everyone being afraid of the Marauders helped.

"Why are you guys up this early?" James asked. As a rule, the two of them never woke up before nine on weekends. Unless there was a girl involved. Or parents. Or both, in some really weird cases.

Peter jabbed his head in Sirius's direction. He didn't give any further explanation. "So, where are we meeting Candice?"

"At the hotel where she's staying," came the answer.

"And you thought that getting two Hogsmeade weekends scheduled one after another would be pointless," Remus teased James.

James nodded and conceded the point. He ran a hand through his permanently ruffled hair and sighed. He almost wished he had worn warmer clothes. It was prematurely chilly outside and a t-shirt just didn't cut it. "We need to get something to eat while we're there," he commented. "I'm starving. Call it hangover, but I need food."

"Grouchy," Sirius commented.

James looked over his friend. He was still wearing that button down shirt, _with the long sleeves_, and rubbed his elbow for emphasize. Sirius got it instantly and burst into more laughter. Peter and Remus looked on in puzzlement.

"Just ate," Remus informed him. Peter nodded as well. James desperately hoped Candice was hungry.

* * *

At the same time, a mile away, Lily Evans was thinking the exact same thing. "Candice, can we be done now? I'm starving." She gave Candice what she hoped was a puppy dog expression. Then again, Candice was a pureblood so she might not know what a puppy dog was.

Candice looked at Lily in pity. She had woken up Lily at seven that morning for some 'girl time.' This translated into shopping at the most expensive stores in Hogsmeade. Lily had almost passed out looking at a few of the prices.

And after all of that, Candice still hadn't quite grasped why a new girl was hanging out with the Marauders. More to the point, why the Marauders were hanging out with anyone period. Even back when she had attended Hogwarts, they didn't socialize. Everyone bowed down to them and did whatever they wanted, true. But it wasn't the same thing. Candice felt that she had grasped a part of it, though. Lily's personality. She could see why that would be appealing to James.

Candice looked at the clock on the wall. "Of course. We have to meet the boys anyways. I promised them I would meet them back at the hotel." She walked her purchases up to the register and deposited a large amount of galleons with a keep the change. With a flick of her wand, the numerous bags began to trail after her, floating through air. Her heels clacked as she strode across the wooden floor.

Lily mentally sighed, knowing who the 'boys' were. Why had she agreed to this again? Then Candice began to speak again and Lily knew why. This girl practically oozed charm. It was impossible not to like her.

"Here," Candice said, handing Lily a small bag.

Lily held out her hands, palms out, in denial. "I can't accept a gift from you."

"Why not?" Candice was genuinely confused. Money didn't mean much to her. She was one of the Dales. Money had always been there and always would. Besides, Candice made an excessive amount of money as an actress. The present equaled about five minutes worth of work.

"I've known you for less than a day," Lily pointed out. And she didn't want to be indebted to anyone. Especially not a friend of the Marauders.

"Its nothing major," Candice was finally catching onto the problem. Lily still shook her head. "Consider it an apology than," Candice finally said. "I'm sure the Marauders haven't been exactly gracious."

Lily shook her head and laughed at the same time. Her hair ticked her face as she did so. It was taking some time to get used to this haircut. Candice finally thrust it into Lily's arms after another few minutes of debating, refusing to take it back. Lily sighed and accepted the fact that Candice was intent on giving it to her. She upended the bag onto her palm. Two earrings spilled out. They were made of silver; two stags, antlers proudly pointing to the air. Small diamonds sparkled, representing the eyes. The earrings themselves were smalls as well, not studs but not oversized either. They wouldn't be noticeable except in flashes as she moved her hair. They matched her necklace perfectly. Lily wondered how Candice had bought them without her noticing.

"Thank you," Lily gushed.

Candice waved it off and deposited the rest of her packages in front of a bellman. She told him her room number and handed him a few sickles as a tip. "I'm glad you like them," Candice said. She didn't tell Lily the main reason why she had thought that Lily would like them. The stags didn't just match her necklace.

"James!"

James was the first one to stumble through the door, followed closely by the rest of his friends. Candice greeted them all as she had greeted them yesterday, and just as enthusiastically. Lily wondered where she got the energy from. It had been a long day.

The four didn't seem to notice that she was there. "Please tell me that you're hungry," James pleaded.

Candice's hair whipped around. They had walked back outside while they were talking. She brushed a blond tendril out of her face and laughed. "Sorry. I ate before I shopped. Lily was starving though."

James did a double take and looked at Lily. Lily instantly blushed. James frowned and grabbed her arm. "If my hangover is making me hungry, you have to be starving," he muttered. He raised his voice a tad. "Come on, I'll buy."

Lily allowed herself to be dragged for a few meters before she shook her arm out of James's grasp. "Have fun," she heard Remus calling. She frowned again and turned around to glare at him. The four remaining were smiling at her. Sirius offered a small wave. Lily made a mental note to yell at him later. Maybe next time they were by the trees…

"You seem awfully eager for food," Lily turned her attention back to James.

James turned his head to face Lily. "Hangovers always make me hungry," he repeated his earlier feelings. "I'm surprised you aren't more famished. It's not like you had any more food left in you from yesterday."

Lily blushed ever harder than before. Her hand flew up to cover her open mouth. "I am so sorry," she apologized. She realized the irony in that. Lily Evans apologizing to James. She was willing to guess there were bets about this thing. "Were your clothes?"

"Completely and totally ruined?" James nodded his head. He opened the door to a breakfast place and walked in, leaving Lily to trail in after him. James slid into a chair, Lily opposite him. He picked up the menu and scanned it.

"Sorry?" Lily said again, phrasing it as a question as well. "I can't remember much about last night, actually. Only bits and pieces. I remember," she ticked the things off on her fingers, not even bothering to look at the menu, "throwing up on you, saying something about the rose, and a guy in an alley?" She furled her eyebrows at the last bit, clearly trying to remember more about the incident. "Oh god. Did I pass out on him?"

"Don't worry about that last one," James reassured her. He raised his hand and summoned a waiter. "You took care of him." He laughed at the memory. "And then you passed out, on me," he clarified. He rattled off his order and handed the menu to the guy. The waiter turned to Lily expectantly. Lily picked up the menu for the first time and began to look at it. Five seconds later, James got frustrated. He plucked the menu from her hands and told the waiter to bring them two of his order.

"James," Lily protested. She looked from him to her menu and back to him. The waiter got the hint and handed her back the menu. She smirked and looked it over again. James tapped his foot in irritation. He began to drum his fingers along the edge of the table. Finally, Lily flashed a smile at the waiter. "I'll take this," she pointed to her order and handed him the menu. The waiter nodded his head, slightly dazzled. Lily turned back to James and arched her eyebrow. "Hungry?"

James didn't bother to answer the question. As she turned her head, something sliver caught his eye. He swept his hand off the table and leaned in closer to her. "What do you have in your ears?"

Lily fingered her new earrings self-consciously. "Candice bought me some new earrings," she muttered, uncomfortable with James staring so intently at her.

She blushed, realizing that she had been doing that a lot lately. To hide her discomfort, she glanced around at the scenery. She had never actually been in here before. Like all of the stores that Candice had dragged her to, it catered exclusively to the rich people. The walls were a deep blue, the delicate silver chairs contrasting nicely. Waiters were dressed nicer than Lily herself. The other patrons were older, sophisticated. Each and every one of them looked like they had just stepped out of some ad. To tell the truth, so did James.

James leaned back in his seat. "Huh," was all he said. He was going to have to ask Candice about the earrings later.

"So how did you meet Candice?" Lily changed the subject.

"It's a funny story actually," James answered. A smile played on his lips as he thought about it. "I was about five at the time. I was sitting in the corner of a party, bored out of mind and this girl came up to me. She came up to me and stuck out her hand. Candice introduced herself and then started talking about my staircase. Apparently, her mansion didn't have ones as straight as ours."

Lily laughed, putting one hand to cover her mouth. "She didn't!"

James nodded. "So there we were at this really fancy party, sliding down a staircase. Of course, Candice goes first. I was standing at the top watching her. She slides down and my father walks around the corner. Bam!" He hit his hands together in emphasize.

Lily laughed again, imagining a little Candice dressed in a silk poofy dress colliding with a man that looked exactly like James.

* * *

James walked out of the restaurant first, this time holding the door for Lily. He smiled as she walked past him. "Thanks for breakfast," she said. "You were right, that did make me feel better."

James nodded. "Aren't I always right?"

Lily let that one go, feeling gracious.

James looked back up the street, back towards the inn. He felt shy all of a sudden, a rare occurrence. "Listen, Lily, the guys are probably gone by now. Since I don't know how to find them," a lie, "you want to just hang out. We can check out Honeydukes."

Lily smiled, unexpectedly. "Yeah," she said slowly, not really believing it even as she said it, "I would like that." She told herself it was because he had been a gentleman when she passed out last night. She told herself it was because he had saved her once. She told herself she owed something to Candice, who had quite obviously pushed them together.

She lied.

* * *

James laughed and bumped into Lily. He raised his arm and pointed at the person across the street. The man, wearing a neon green robe and hat, was having a conversation with thin air. He was very passionate about the conversation apparently. He was waving his arms around and twitching slightly. Lily smiled at the scene he was creating.

* * *

Lily stumbled, catching her foot against the pavement. She crashed into James. "Sorry," she said.

James was sprawled on the pavement, Lily on top of him. Lily pushed herself and then offered a hand to James. James ignored it, correctly judging that he weighed a lot more than Lily. Instead, he got to his feet himself. He shrugged off her apology. A concession for him. A Marauder had gotten hurt and no one had paid.

From inside the Three Broomsticks a girl with blond hair smiled. So maybe what Lily had said had been truth. After these pictures though…well James wouldn't be looking at her the same way. Lily Evans had been arrogant. She had stolen not one, but two of the best boys in school. It was time for her to pay.

* * *

"Admit it. You had fun, Lily" James teased her lightly. He was referring to the time that they had spent at Honeydukes. After half the day that had passed, they had finally gone. The people in the store had followed them around like puppy dogs, convinced that James wanted to order a huge amount of sweets for his next party. They had personally waited on them hand and foot, allowing Lily to sample everything in the store.

And strangely enough, Lily had. James hadn't been as cocky or as conceited. Arrogant, yes, but he was improving. The rich life, she had to admit, wasn't too bad either. She nodded. "Lils," Lily finally said. "I like being called Lils."

James nodded. He had never actually heard anyone call her Lils before. Not that he paid much attention. Lils; he liked it.

"So," James said with a mischievous grin that so perfectly fit his face, "where to next, Lils?"

* * *

Lily walked back to Hogwarts wearing a smile. On one side of her Candice was talking about all of the great clothes she had bought that day. The four of them had conveniently been 'missing' for the rest of the day. She had already listened to Lily talk about her day with James. Lily hadn't admitted too much. They talked, ate, and laughed. That was all Candice had gotten out of her.

On the other hand, if Candice's story was true, Lily felt sorry for the guys. A day of shopping?

"I think you should let me give you a makeover," Candice announced, breaking her babble.

Lily about fell again. "What!?" she asked, almost hysterically.

"A makeover," Crystal repeated. She said it like it was the most sensible thing in the world. "Your hair, no offense, looks like it wasn't cut quite properly."

James winced as she said this. For her part, Lily laughed. "You're right on that account." She glanced at James and Peter, causing Remus and Sirius to join her in laughing.

Candice continued, slightly perplexed. "Anyway, you would look even more adorable with the right haircut and clothes." She smiled, happy at the prospect. The Marauders, while good friends, didn't really let her try make up on them.

Lily was trying to find a good way to say no when she heard the perfect excuse. "Lily Evans?" A man called. The voice became more certain when it became close. "Lily!"

Lily turned around slowly. "Chase?" she squealed. "Chase Lindsay!" She squealed again and rushed at the man. He swept her up in a hug that lasted several moments before he pulled back and held her at arm's length. "What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

He smiled proudly and plucked at his new robe with one hand. Lily noticed that it was brand-new with a designer appearance. "I'm rich," he announced with obvious delight.

"No way!"

His grin became even wider. "My family struck oil. So we sold our land to some company. My dad invested the money and got lucky. Anyways, we had enough money that I transferred schools. If I can't compete with you in brains, I'll just buy my way in with money," he teased her gently.

"I can't believe this," Lily answered him. She finally stepped away and examined him. He looked good, she realized. He had grown a few inches and, thankfully, his hair had grown about the same. He was no longer buzzing it as short as possible since he couldn't afford a haircut. Instead, it was a deep, rich brown with a slight natural curl. His body, she also noticed, was as good as shape as it had ever been, even when he had been working that construction job. Yet, through all that, he still gave off a slightly nerdy aura. He was still the boy that she had known her entire life. She wondered if he was still overly obsessed with chess.

Chase looked her in the eyes. "Go get dinner with me. We can catch up on old times. You can tell me the ways of this school," he pleaded with her. His expression was hopeful, wistful.

"Lily?" Candice asked from behind them. Lily turned around to acknowledge her, not answering Chase's question. Candice glided up to her, in her stylish blue dress. She nodded her head in Chase's direction.

"Oh," Lily realized. "Candice, this is Chase Lindsay. He's an old friend. We used to go to the same school. Muggle school," she acknowledged the fact.

Candice brushed her long brown hair out of her face and stuck out her hand. Chase shook it, slightly amazed that anyone still greeted people in that way. He accredited it to a rich person thing. He shook her hand slightly before dropping it awkwardly.

"Candice Dales," Candice introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you," Chase answered. "Umm…" he stammered suddenly. He looked over her shoulder back at the Marauders. James was glaring at him, while Remus laughed. "Is one of those guys your boyfriend?"

Candice laughed. "No," she replied. "Why?" She turned around to look at them herself. She noted James's murder expression. Waving them over, she was amused.

"I'm Chase," Chase introduced himself.

"Yeah," Peter said wryly, "I figured."

Chase blushed slightly. _Yep,_ Lily thought, _same old Chase._

James spoke up, his eyes blazing. "How do you know my Lily?" he asked.

_My Lily!?_ was Lily's only thought. She was about to blow up on him when Chase spoke up.

"We're old friends and schoolmates," Chase explained. His eyebrows furled in confusion as he realized something. "Wait, did you say _my_ Lily?"

"Good question," Lily put in. She gave James a warning glance. "This had better be a _very _good explanation." Her face was enough to convey the or else behind the comment.

James walked closer to Lily, not noticing that a slight crowd had gathered around them. Lily hanging out, laughing, with the Marauders was an unusual event, enough to warrant attention by itself. A new guy on campus, possibly loaded? The crowd was large, expanding every second.

James threw his arm around Lily's shoulder, staking a property. A lazy grin stole to his lips. "Well, Chase," the name was pronounced with a condescending slowness, in pity, "Lily and I are dating."

Lily's thunder got stolen again. She really wanted to rant at James. They had had a fun day, and then he pulls this.

"What!" A shrill shriek pierced the air. Crystal pushed her way through the crowd. The shriek was unnatural sounding, enough to cause everyone to look at the person who had caused it. "You are going out with her now!?"

James wasn't given enough time to answer the question. Instead, a large stack of photographs was thrust into his hands. He briefly glanced down to look at pictures of Lily. Lily and Sirius.

"That Mudblood is two-timing you. She's been meeting with Sirius all week. Who knows what else she's been doing."

_Sirius_

_Sirius_

_Sirius_

James's brain shut off. His arm slipped off of Lily's shoulder; his grin fading.

"What!?" Chase piped up. "Are you really dating both of these guys, Lils?"

_Lils_

James slammed his fist into Chase's head, not pausing to think about it. He just felt the rage. Chase didn't slip into unconsciousness, but it was close. He fell to the ground with a groan. James turned to Lily, shaking his hand. Blood dripped off of it, splattering everywhere. James didn't notice it. Lily wasn't quite sure whose blood it was.

James stared Lily in the eyes. He reached down and silently picked up the photographs that he had only briefly looked at before. He flipped through them, discarding each one after he looked at it. They were all of Lily and Sirius. Each time they were by the trees. Lily laughing. Lily smiling. Sirius touching Lily on the arm. Sirius laughing with Lily. The two sitting in silence, Lily reading and Sirius sketching.

He threw the last photograph at Lily. It fluttered in the air and hit her in the stomach.

Lily looked at the pain in his eyes. For a second, she forgot that she was pissed at him. And then she looked down at Chase, picking himself up off the ground. The blood had been his.

"What the hell did you do that for?" She screamed. She ran over to Chase and pressed her handkerchief against the cut on his face.

"Is it true? Are these pictures real?" James asked, ignoring Chase.

Lily didn't answer him. She was focused on Chase, trying to make sure the cut wasn't that deep. James had been wearing some type of family crest ring when he had punched him, apparently.

"Are these pictures real?" James repeated, insistent.

Lily looked down at the pictures on the ground. "Yeah, they're real," she admitted. "So what? I'm allowed to talk to people. We aren't dating." She emphasized the last sentence, making it clear her opinion of the idea. Lily didn't really care what he thought at the moment.

James didn't bother to answer her.

"What is your problem?" Chase finally said. He had recovered enough from the shock. "Why did you punch me? What gives you the right?"

James found an outlet for his anger. He couldn't hit Lily. This was someone else. James pulled out his wand, twirling it in his hand before conjuring something. He mouth twisted into a messed-up grin. All of his arrogance, his cockiness, was in his next few sentences. "I'm a Marauder. I'm James Potter. I can do whatever I want." He handed Chase the rose in his hand. As soon as Chase touched it the petals began to fall.

"What?"

James didn't answer him this time either. Chase would figure it out eventually.

James walked back towards his friends. He stood between Remus and Peter, looking at Sirius. "You're no longer a Marauder," James said. With that, he turned around. Remus and Peter looked at Sirius with apologies on their face. They walked away with James.

"James, wait!"

It was Crystal, not Lily, calling after him. If it had been Lily, he might've forgiven her.

"I'm so sorry for you. But that Mudblood wasn't right for you." Her sentence was cut off as she was flung backwards into the air. She landed on her butt twenty feet away. James put his wand back into his pocket.

Lily watched him go; wondering what had provoked such a strong reaction from James. She and Sirius had just talked, nothing else, even if she had wanted it to be. Just like she and James had just talked today.

"Who are the Marauders?" Chase asked, about five miles behind everyone else in thought process. "And why did that guy just give me a rose? Was he _hitting _on me?"

* * *

AN

So its my birthday today. Yay! I'm finally old. Well, not old, but the same age as my friends. So yay!

Thanks for the reviews everyone. 43. You guys are amazing.

Thanks for the review. I hoped you liked the update!** Anjel:** He has a cousin. Cuz I was trying to stay kind of canon. Gwen. I've mentioned her a few times. She gets a bigger part later. Thanks for the review. **opalshine** She has Candice. Who is nice to her. Not much of anyone else. I'm thinking of writing in a new friend soon. Girl. What do you think? I was also playing with the idea of her being Keeper. I wasn't sure whether I liked it yet so I was just leaving up for grabs for a few chapters. You think it would be good? Thanks for the review! **Crystal **James is getting nicer. Kind of. Mean in this chapter. But he gets better! So i'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review. **Potiphar** Thats what I thought. But then JKR said in an interview he was a Chaser, so...I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review!! **Ashley:** I'm glad you liked the fluff. Thanks for the review!! sopleaza I'm thinking 6'4'' 6'5''. Thanks for the review **the muddy worm**. Thanks, the history behind your name was cool. I agree with you about Bella. Perfect! Edward, not. Thanks for the review! **Anonymous:** I'm not sure if you're still reading, but I threw up a disclaimer. Sorry about the confusion. Thanks for the review! **melissa:** Yeah, they're interviews do make them see better. I loved the long review. It made me smile! Thanks for the review!!

I hope everyone liked the new chapter! I'm off to celebrate my b-day!!

-magicXheart-


	9. Consumed

Happy Belated Birthday to Melissa and Phire Phly

**Consumed**

Sirius stood, watching James walk away. Candice stood next to him, her hand reaching up to capture his. A stoic expression decorated his features.

_You're no longer a Marauder_

The words echoed in his head, decimating him even if he didn't show it.

_You're no longer a Marauder_

It was the end of the only life he had ever known. Each echo was a pang; each step James took, made him want to scream. James. Peter. Remus. They had been his friends for forever, and now they were walking away.

"Sirius," Candice said his name softly in a lilting tone. She pulled Sirius's arm closer, wrapping both of hers around it. She offered support, a safe haven.

Sirius stood for a moment, still staring, before answering her. "Yeah," he finally replied, not turning to look at her.

Candice looked tiny next to him, delicate. "Are you okay?"

Sirius shook his head, a dog-like gesture. His hair feel messily back into place. He finally turned to reassure her. "I'm fine," he lied. His body did not betray him. He shook his arm free, and then dropped it around her shoulder. Together they walked off, in the opposite direction from the Marauders.

Lily watched the two leave. Like Sirius, she felt every step. One week. It had been too good to last. She wanted to rush after him. To comfort James, tell him it was nothing. To tell Sirius that everything would be alright. To beg James to forgive Sirius. To hold Sirius.

She wanted to rush after him. The problem was, she didn't know who 'him' was.

The pictures lay forgotten on the ground. Sirius's and Lily's faces smiled, taunting those who looked at them.

* * *

The rumors ran rampant, as everyone had known they would. Within hours James had gone from punching Chase, the new billionaire, once to beating him senseless. Sirius hadn't only been pushed out, he too had been beaten. It was publicly known that Lily had made out with all three guys. Some were saying that she had done it for money, a pitiful amount. Lily had been secretly dating James and Sirius. When James found out, his eyes had literally turned red with rage. Lily was dropping out of school. Chase and Lily were engaged. The rumors ranged from slightly mockable to outrageous.

The only thing that remained constant was that Sirius was no longer a Marauder. The Marauders had broken up.

The girls were devastated. The dream four had broken up. The four rich, insanely hot guys would no longer be walking around together. It was as if Sirius had died. They mourned his passing.

The guys were hopeful. There was an opening in the Marauders. Maybe they would be chosen to fill it.

All blamed Lily, and in association Chase, for the break-up. The wilted rose tortures were back…with interest.

* * *

"In here!" Lily shouted. She pulled Chase in and closed the door shut after him. The two collapsed against the broom cupboard's wall and panted. They heard a few people passing outside and relaxed.

"That was close," Chase wheezed.

"They're getting less persistent," Lily offered weakly. It had been two days since Chase had received his rose and the torturing had been worse than the original.

Chase started laughing and sat down on the floor. He hit his head against a mop in the process.

Lily joined him, much more graceful in her movements. "What's so funny?" she asked, puzzled.

Chase looked down at his paint-stained uniform and torn books. "Only you, Lils, could move to a school and within a period of two weeks, be hated, loved, and then hated by the most popular, pretentious guy there." He slung his arm around her shoulder and continued laughing.

Lily squirmed away from him, uncomfortable with the gesture. Chase took the rejection lightly, like he had a thousand times before. "He never loved me," she protested. "Hated, yes. Tortured, certainly. But he never loved me."

Chase inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Maybe he never loved you, but he definitely liked you." Lily shook her head, causing her hair to swing around into her face. Chase started laughing quietly again for a moment.

"Cheerier subject," Lily declared. "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

Chase wondered at her definition of cheery. "Besides being tormented by everyone in it? It's been great seeing you."

Lily changed the subject again. "Are you going to try out for Keeper?" She brushed her hair out of her face and relaxed her head against the wall.

"No." Chase stood up, brushing off his robes. He merely succeeded in getting paint onto his hands. Lily smiled at his innate clumsiness, one of the things that made him the geek he was so proud to be. "I would probably fall off my broom five minutes into tryouts." He held out his paint-free hand, offering it to Lily. He pulled her off the ground. "Why don't you try out? You were always brilliant back in school."

"No way," Lily denied the suggestion. She opened the door a crack, peeking her head out to see if anyone was around. She opened the door the rest of the way with a relieved sigh. "James is captain," she explained.

"And you would have had me try out," Chase said, teasing her. He shook his head slightly at the idea. "You must really hate me. He would probably hit me with a bludger."

"He's Chaser."

Chase shrugged. "He still would."

He was probably right.

* * *

James flipped through his Quidditch book for the thousandth time. "I'm bored," he idly complained.

Peter and Remus looked up from their game, waiting for him to say something more. "Do your homework, then," Peter finally said. He moved his piece forward.

"Already done."

"You really are bored," Remus laughed. "Why don't you-" He broke off as a girl came walked up besides James.

James irritably turned to face her.

The girl was a fourth year, very shy looking. She bowed her head, allowing her long hair to hide her face. "James," she said in a quiet voice, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the ball with me Friday evening." The entire sentence came out mumbled. She was obviously scared.

James didn't even bother to answer her. He stood up and brushed past her, hitting shoulders as he passed. The girl's face looked white and she trembled as he walked away. Remus was slightly concerned that she would start crying. Peter and Remus jumped up, abandoning their game, to follow James.

"That was something to do," Remus told him, catching up on James's right.

James frowned at how much Remus seemed to be enjoying this. He quickened his pace. "James!" someone called. James sighed and stopped in his tracks.

"James," Candice said again once she caught up with him. She kept walking, the other three falling into step beside her.

"Yeah?"

"You going to the ball on Friday?" Candice asked. She plucked a leaf out of her hair.

James scowled, while Remus and Peter laughed. Candice looked perplexed. "You heard," James accused.

"What?" Candice asked, genuinely confused. Her features scrunched up. As she remembered, they smoothed out again. "I know you always hate functions. I just thought you would like this one, non-business related and all."

"Seventeen girls have already asked him," Peter informed her. "Bet it's twenty by Thursday," he said, turning to Remus.

"Twenty-five," Remus countered. Peter nodded and stuck out his hand for Remus to shake.

"Aw," Candice said. "Thirty at least. That's a sucker's bet, Peter."

James scowled again. "I could always tell Dumbledore that you're here," he threatened.

Candice laughed, a chiming, bell-like laugh. "He would just greet me with a smile. That old man always loved me."

James conceded the point. "Everyone always does." Candice accepted the compliment. "I'm going to the ball, by the way. It's required of Head Boy. It's about the only thing I actually have to do in that job."

Candice smiled. "You guys still pulling the same pranks as last year, Head Boy?"

"'Course," Peter answered for James. He smiled wickedly, causing Candice to laugh again.

James listened to the other three banter for a few minutes in silent thought. He watched Candice laugh her delicate, crystal laugh in response to something Remus said. Finally he couldn't take it. "Aren't you mad?" He asked, interrupting Peter in the middle of a sentence. Peter began to protest before he saw the intense look that James wore.

Candice stopped laughing immediately. She looked into James's eyes and cocked her head. She considered her answer for a moment before replying. "No, not really."

All of the years that Sirius and Candice had been friends. They had been friends with the Marauders too, of course, but between them it was different. Sirius and Candice were closer, connected. Sirius barely had to start a sentence before Candice was able to finish it. All of Sirius's quietness, withdrawnness was made up for when he was with Candice. And now Candice wasn't angry?

"Why?" James had to ask the question.

Candice shrugged. "You'll get over it. I know you will."

James accepted the answer, as untrue as he thought it was. Sirius had betrayed him. James wouldn't get over it, but neither did he want to loose Candice. He had already lost so much.

* * *

The wind whispered quietly through the trees, stirring the leaves. The silence was broken by the sound of a breaking branch. Lily quickly stepped off of it with a wince. "Sirius?" she asked quietly.

Sirius didn't move. He sat staring off into space, brooding. He wasn't even drawing. His hair danced gently in the breeze.

"Sirius," Lily tried again. She sat down next to him, staring at the same invisible point.

Sirius wryly looked over at her outfit. "I love the choice of clothes. A little smelly, though." His tone was mean, insulting, degrading. He sounded as if he was talking to any other person. He sounded distant.

Lily hated it.

"Hey," Lily protested with a laugh. If she treated it like a joke, it would be. She waved her wand and made it vanish. In an afterthought she cast a spell to mute the smell. "Better?" She asked. Sirius didn't answer. He continued to stare off into space.

Lily walked closer to him, eventually sitting on a log next to him. She sat there, staring into space, for a few moments. The tension was thick in the air. In the background, a few students walking by broke the silence. They laughed and joked. Normalcy neither Lily nor Sirius had experienced lately.

Lily finally couldn't take the silence. Lately, she had been constantly in motion, the routine was beginning to affect her personality. "How have you been?" she asked quietly, hesitantly.

Sirius stood up, abandoning his place on the log. He paced in front of Lily, self-contained. His pace was urgent and angry. Lily rocked back and forth, watching him. His pace scared her. He wasn't about to say something she wanted to hear.

"Why do you care?" Sirius finally spit out. It was an echo of the first real thing he had ever said to her. It was an echo of the day he had saved her. And now he said it because she hadn't saved him in return; she had destroyed him.

Lily stopped rocking, she was frozen. Her heart broke slightly as she answered. "It couldn't have been easy for you." She phrased what she was saying carefully. She didn't want to loose Sirius. She had already lost enough. "They were your best friends."

Sirius cut her off before she could finish her babbling explanation. "They were," he answered coldly, harshly, "until you came along." It was clear he blamed her for the entire thing. Lily blamed herself.

She stood up, intending to hug him, to comfort him in some way. "I'm your friend." She emphasized the last word, stressing it. "I never meant to harm you." She grabbed Sirius's hand, attempting force him to stop pacing.

He did stop, angrily. He spun to face her, looking her directly in the eyes. His voice quavered with the anger coursing through him. "But you did." He let the accusation hang in the air. It remained unprotested. "Stay away from me," Sirius said. Anger, accusation, fury. The emotions were all spoken with that one sentence. _Stay away from me_.

Sirius easily freed himself from Lily's grip. He took his hand out even though Lily was using all of her strength. He walked away from Lily, turning his back to her. The leaves crunched beneath his feet.

"Sirius!" Lily wailed her plea, a last desperate hope. She needed Sirius. She had needed him ever since he had saved her. Sirius was her proof that not all of the Marauders were inhuman; that some still had morals. She _liked_ Sirius.

Sirius didn't pause; he didn't turn around. He just kept walking away.

Everyone walked away.

* * *

They passed each other in the hallway the next day.

Candice was on her way to speak to Dumbledore. She wanted to request his permission to come to the ball. Normally only students were allowed, but Candice had just graduated. Also, Sirius had wanted to take her. Candice wanted to pass some time with her friends. All of her friends.

Sirius walked with Candice. He was heading to his next class, Potions. He shared it with the other seventh year NEWT levels. He had convinced Candice to take a detour to walk with him. It was his first Potions class since the split.

James, Peter, and Remus were laughing and joking on their way to class. They were planning that prank that Peter had been talking about. They need to fine tune the details.

Lily and Chase were walking, or more accurately running away from their peers, to the same class. Chase had tested into the class just the day before. His old school had had laxer standards, but Chase had just managed to scrape by.

Lily was the first one to notice.

She looked up, directly into Sirius's eyes, heart catching in her throat. She titled her head downward at once, in embarrassment more than shyness.

James noticed the gesture, fury once again raging within him. He stopped talking abruptly in the middle of a sentence. The other two's eyes followed his, wondering what had caused it.

Candice remained oblivious to the tension. She raised her hand in greeting to Lily and Chase. Chase waved back, more out of instinct than anything else. Lily looked at Candice and briefly smiled. She cast her eyes once more towards the ground and grabbed Chase's arm. She pulled him on their way.

James stood there, sill struck motionless. He watched in silence as Candice walked with Sirius, following after Lily. Candice reached out naturally to take Sirius's hand in her own. It was a gesture left over from childhood. And that was it. Everyone else had departed.

Throughout the whole exchange, no one had said a word.

* * *

"Lily!"

Lily turned around as she heard her name. Chase, her only companion these days, also turned. It was a sign that they had spent a lot of time together.

"Lily!" Candice called again. She raised one hand, as if to wave her down as one would do a taxi.

Lily stopped walking completely to wait for her.

Candice's heels clacked as she walked across the stone floor. The noise, at first, caused everyone to turn and stare at her. The glares, however, became more focused when they noticed who it was Candice was walking towards. Lily Evans. No one had dared to speak to Lily, not since the incident. They were curious who it was that so openly defied the rules. The Marauders, what was left of them, would slay her.

"Lily," Candice said with a open grin, "you still owe me that makeover." She smiled. Lily had honestly forgotten what she had said in the excitement that followed.

"Why would I need a makeover?" Lily's voice was nervous, high. The thought of Candice armed with scissors and make up was not promising. Lily was just a tad bit scared.

"For the ball. tomorrow!" Candice interjected. She sounded affronted that Lily had forgotten. Her face reflected the sentiment.

_That's Candice Dales _someone whispered from the watching crowds. Candice Dales, the only person that came close to the Marauders in peerage. Just as affluent, and more importantly, just as rich. She had been best friends with the Marauders when she attended Hogwarts. She had left for a glamorous acting job. The crowd was alive with whispers of her history. The most important fact being her friendship with the Marauders. If they hated Lily, why didn't Candice?

Lily wondered how she was going to answer Candice. She didn't want to offend her only girl friend these day. However, there was _no_ way that she was going to that ball. Playing dress up in clothes that cost less then everyone else's shoes was not Lily's style. She was planning on catching up on her homework. Transfiguration was horrible, wrecking Lily's perfect grades.

"I don't really think anyone will take me," Lily said pointedly. Inwardly, she sighed with relief. That was an excuse that was believable. Lily would give Candice all of her money, not that it was much, if she could find one guy that wanted to take her. All guys around here seemed to be hating her lately.

Chase was busy smiling well Lily was being relieved. This was his chance. After all these years, he was finally going to ask Lily Evans out. _The_ Lily Evans. "Lily, you-"

"Sirius will take you!" Candice interjected with a squeal over Chase. She hadn't realized he was speaking. Chase wanted to scream.

Lily shook her head. "No, it's perfect," Candice continued. She beckoned Sirius with one hand, spotting him across the lawn. "I was planning on going with him, as friends, but I bet he would much rather go with you."

"No," Lily forced out, stunned and horrified in equal measures. She said it quickly, wanting Candice to believe her. She wanted to melt into the ground. She wished she was an Animagus. "No, he wouldn't."

Candice ignored her. "You guys would have so much fun. I have the perfect dress for you to wear. You'll love it! It would match your hair perfectly!" She was practically squealing now, imagining Lily all dressed up. Lily smiled in spite of herself.

Sirius continued his slow walk over. His gait was unhurried, measured. It was the walk of someone confident, not at all like Lily was feeling at the moment. The last time she had spoken to Sirius he had told her to stay away and now here was violating his own rule. Her heart beat was rapid, out of control. She wanted it to stop. "Yeah?" He asked Candice. He looked only at her.

Candice gave him a quick hug in greeting. It was in her nature; she had to touch everyone, cheer everyone up. "I think you should escort Lily to the ball," she said. She was wearing the biggest smile, as if it were the most perfect idea in the world. Her blue eyes sparkled with sheer delight.

"I was going to take you," Sirius murmured. Again, his body language did not betray him. He had gotten very good at that over the years.

"I didn't tell you?" Candice asked him. Her mouth formed an o. "My father wanted me to be escorted by some other seventh-year. Devon, Diego, something D."

"Daniel?"

"Daniel," Candicel nodded her head in thanks. "That was it. Anyway, my father is still trying to fix me up with any guy that has over a couple hundred million pounds. Apparently Daniel recently came into some money." She smiled, it was a petty annoyance. "So I have to go with him." She looked at Sirius's downcast expression. "I'll ditch him soon enough. No worries. I might get James-" Sirius cringed at the name, "-to help me with that though. I heard he was a prat."

Lily was forced to smile at the irony. James calling someone else a prat?

"So," Candice continued, "you can be Lily's official escort." She smiled again, that dazzling smile that enthralled everyone who fell prey to it.

Chase was still standing there, forgotten. He was a third wheel in a four person situation.

Lily didn't dare look at Sirius's face before she answered. "That's okay Candice. If you want me to go that badly, I can drag Chase, as unwilling as he'll be."

The 'unwilling' boy flashed a huge smile, this was his chance.

"I'd be-"

"I'll take you," Sirius spoke quietly. His words still overpowered Chase's far more enthusiastic ones. Chase's smile quickly fell.

"Great, that's settled now. About the dress, Lily?" Candice was still smiling.

"Um. I'll look at it tomorrow, okay? I trust you," Lily answered, distracted. Why had Sirius agreed to take her? Why had _he_ even agreed to take her?

"I have to go shopping for last minute accessories." Candice didn't seem too dismayed at the thought. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lily nodded and Candice hurried away. She had jewelry to buy. Lily and Sirius stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

"I think I'm going to go work on some homework," Chase forced out, breaking the uncomfortable silence. He slung his bag more securely over his shoulder and walked away, frowning. Life was unfair.

Lily and Sirius continued to stare at each other, a standstill. Finally, after a long minute, Lily spoke. "Why?" She asked.

Sirius began to walk down the path, forcing Lily to walk with him. Again, it was at a slow, unhurried pace. He considered the question before answering. "It wasn't your fault," he finally admitted. "I can see that now. James can be a little bullheaded sometimes." He smiled slightly, the gesture allowing Lily to laugh at the gross understatement. "Besides," Sirius added when Lily's laughter ceased, "while James got the wrong idea, there was a kernel of truth behind his assumption." Lily smiled at the obviously Muggle saying. "I _do_ like you."

The stress was on the do, not the like. To Lily, it made all the difference in the world.

"But I'm not Candice," she agreed sadly.

"No," Sirius shook his head. He was replying to the meaning behind her words. Candice was the girl Sirius was in love with. He thought it would last forever. "But you are Lily Evans." He said it in a serious tone, deadpan, as if he was reassuring her that Lily Evans was indeed her name.

"You're teasing me now, aren't you?" Lily asked.

Sirius nodded.

Lily laughed, a bright, shiny laugh. "In that case, you are Sirius Black."

Sirius laughed in return and it was the first time Lily had heard him sound so carefree. He had laughed before, but not like this. There was true mirth behind the laughter. Sirius smiled and laughed again.

* * *

The next day, Lily was ambushed by Candice as soon as her last class was over. Candice had chatted with the professor for a moment before taking Lily's hand and dragging her down to Hogsmeade. When Lily protested, Candice showed her a note with special permission from Dumbledore. Candice's smile could dazzle anyone.

At Hogsmeade Lily was forced to try on millions of earrings, shoes, and hair bands. Lily still had no idea what the dress looked like, so her opinion was useless. Then Candice had taken Lily back to her hotel room where hours of pampering had commenced. Lily finally got the hair cut Candice wanted to give her, in addition to numerous other things. Candice had fun. Lily felt like she was being tortured. Hot knives would have been preferable. She groaned and submitted herself to more make up and cucumbers.

* * *

"So you're escorting Candice?" Sirius asked. His tone was soft. The softness was deceptive.

Daniel put on a cocky smile. "Yeah. She asked me two days ago. I had to ditch my previous date. She was in tears." He said it like it was something to be proud of; he was the lady killer. A mere denial from him could make girls cry.

Sirius thought he was a jerk. He hoped that Candice would figure it out sooner rather than later. Idiots like Daniel were constantly drifting through her life, Sirius was constant. "Don't hurt her," Sirius warned. He was being nice, providing a warning.

Daniel smiled a slow smile that crept up his face. "Or what?" he asked. Sirius was no longer a Marauder. What could he do? James ruled the school alone now.

"Don't hurt her," Sirius repeated. He didn't need to speak the consequences. They would be horrible enough in their own right without the threats.

Sirius opened the door to the hotel, not bothering to continue holding it for Daniel. He paused at the edge of the staircase, pulling out the corsage he had brought. When Lily reached him, he offered it to her. He pinned it out while she grinned a delightful grin. Sirius offered one arm to Lily, the other to Candice. Daniel was left to walk by himself.

Daniel prattled the entire way back to Hogwarts. By the time they reached the castle, the other three were debating ways to ditch him. He wouldn't get a chance to harm Candice, though. She wouldn't allow herself to be around him that long.

James was already sitting at a table when the quartet entered. Peter and Remus were on either side of him, flirting with their dates. The girls they had brought were the typical ones they went for. Remus's was older, with long blond hair. It was dyed, obviously. Her body threatened to pop out of her low cut dress. Peter's date was more his age, perhaps a tad younger. But she too, was wearing a dress that would have cause several of the teachers to blush. James was trapped in the middle, trying to ignore their twittering voices.

The doors opening created a loud noise, interrupting the music. Most people came from the dorms, so the doors were largely unused. They groaned as they opened, admitting Sirius and Lily. Candice and Daniel were close behind.

James's breath caught in his throat as Lily entered. She was stunning. No, he thought to himself, that didn't do her justice. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Not a single girl in here could outshine her. This was a side that James had never seen before. Lily normally wore her ratty school robe. In a dress, she was indescribable.

Lily's short hair was pinned up in an elegant twist. A few curled tendrils twisted down around her face. Her green eyes were accented by her dress. It was floor length, not Cinderella style, but not entirely straight either. It was sleeveless, coming up to tie around her neck in a circle. A diamond was cut out of upper part of it, allowing Lily's fair skin to flash through. More importantly, the dress was the exact shade of green as her eyes. It swished along the floor as she walked, revealing gold shoes to match the gold trim of the neck. Two golden teardrops hung from her ears. It was simple, a masterpiece. This was not something that Candice had lying around. This dress could only be worn by Lily. It was made for her and she looked beautiful in it.

James began to stand, to greet her, when he remembered what had past. He collapsed into his chair, for the first time feeling a tinge of regret. He watched Sirius slide his arm around her waist to guide her to a chair. In that moment he wanted to murder his friend, his ex-friend. He wanted to possess her. It was the strongest feeling he had ever had.

Lily sat down in her chair, glancing around the Grand Hall. It was unrecognizable with its new trappings. It was perfect, she decided. She crossed her ankles and turned to face Candice. "Thanks again for the dress."

Candice waved her thanks away. "It was nothing. Someone who had no idea what I looked like gave it to me. Admit it, well it looks perfect on you, it would look horrible on me."

Lily looked over Candice's brown hair and blue eyes. "Umm…"

"Yeah," Candice dismissed it with a smile. "Like I said, it was nothing. Now tell her how beautiful she looks," she ordered Sirius.

"You look amazing," Sirius complimented her dutifully. He turned to look at Candice. "And you look gorgeous as always," he complimented Candice with more passion behind his voice. Passion, and just a hint of longing.

Lily looked at Sirius in his tuxedo, the black complimenting his hair and eyes, and felt a pang that the longing wasn't for her. She pushed the feeling away and tried to concentrate on the fact that Sirius was there with her. "Thank you," she replied. She looked down at her plate and picked up a menu, using it to hide her face. She concentrated on picking out her meal.

The meal itself was eventful.

"So, the waitress said to me 'this is what you ordered.'" Daniel rambled on. He had been talking for the last twenty minutes. "I said, 'Why would I order this? I hate lobster. I wanted caviar. I specifically said caviar. Can you remember one order or would you like me to write it down for you?'" The story continued, getting longer and more annoying. Daniel's arrogance seeped off of him.

"So I didn't tip her. I mean would you?" He didn't ask the question like he wanted an answer. He thought he already knew what everyone's answers would be. Lily decide to ruin that for him.

"I would."

Daniel stopped talking, his mouth open. He was aghast at the thought that anyone would interrupt him.

"I mean she served you for four hours. Are you so poor that you couldn't leave one lousy tip?" Lily was irritated now. She hated jerks like him. She had worked as a waitress over the summer. She wanted to punch brats like Daniel.

"She didn't deserve it," Daniel interjected. Candice and Sirius followed the exchange, clearly amused.

"You don't deserve it," Lily muttered. "Still, one tip must be a pittance to you," she added louder. "Or have you happened upon hard times lately. I completely understand. I sometimes find it hard to scrounge up a few pounds myself." She mocked him openly, not caring anymore what he thought.

"I-I" Daniel stuttered. "It wasn't that. She just did a really bad job. Honestly," he tried to regain some of his dignity. "All poor people are alike. They have no work morals." He glanced at Lily well he said this, making his true meaning perfectly clear.

Lily got sick of him. She reached down and pulled out her wand. She played with it, twirling it between her fingers. "What were you saying about poor people?"

Daniel pulled out his own wand. "You can't intimidate me, Lily. You don't have enough power. You're nothing but a weak, poor little witch."

Lily stood up and back away from the table. Daniel did the same. Candice and Sirius still chose not to interfere. "Try me," she said clearly.

"_Gre-_" Daniel got out the first syllable of his spell before Lily reacted. She shot a nonverbal jinx at him. His legs started twitching, causing him to drop his wand. "Hey!" Daniel protested. Lily cast a second spell. "Hey!" Daniel protested again. This time his voice was high and squeaky, as if he had been inhaling helium. Lily cast her final spell. Daniel was pushed out the doors.

All of the professors later professed to somehow missing the duel. Justin, the DADA professor, came up with the most creative excuse. His attention had been caught by the dancing snowmen, even though it was still fall. Several other students confessed to seeing them as well, upon later questioning.

Candice clapped as Lily sat back down. Several other students joined her. Lily heard several girls whispering how they had always wanted to do that. It made her feel like a hero of sorts, as corny as that sounded. She picked up her fork and began to eat again.

"Looks like I didn't need James after all," Candice stated with a laugh.

Sirius smiled a half-smile. "You don't need me to save you anymore, Lily Evans." His voice was the soft tone it always was. Lily tried to convince herself that there was a touch of regret in the comment.

"Not from him," she returned. The sentence could be taken two ways.

* * *

The dancing commenced after dinner. Sirius danced with Lily at first, since she was his date. Afterwards, he danced with Candice, alternating between the two. Lily stepped on Sirius's toes a lot. Sirius smiled every single time. Finally, he picked her up for a moment and spun her. Lily laughed like a child. It was a picture perfect moment and Lily loved every second of it. She felt a little kid again, where every emotion is absolute and consuming. She was consumed with happiness.

* * *

Candice dropped Sirius's hand with a mumbled excuse. She smiled once again her dazzling smile. This time the smile held a hint of sadness and regret. Her eyes didn't sparkle, but she was doing the right thing. Some things were worth the sacrifices. Nothing worth having was easily gotten. A cliché, but an appropriate one. She was fighting for the world that she wanted. She would have to accept the sacrifices that came with it. She fingered her long, brown hair and stepped up to Dumbledore.

"May I speak for a moment?"

He nodded and handed her his hand. The charm had already been performed to magnify her voice. She took a deep breath and looked out at everyone in Hogwarts. Her old school, she had loved it. Emotions consumed her and she spoke.

* * *

**AN **Sorry this took so long to post. But it is longer than the others :).

Update. I'm a Beta now. So if anyone has anything...Preferably Lily and James

**halfbloodhannah**. Lol. I hope you liked how Sirius was without the Marauders, then. Thanks for the review! **Marie **James is finally going to regret something he did. :) Thanks for the review. **fiesty black head.** James is an idiot and always overreacts. Candice does like Lily. That is just the type of person that she is. Thanks for the review! **melissa**. Happy Belated Birthday to you. Does this count as a present? Thanks for the birthday wishes. I'm glad you like Candice! Seeing as she is the only nice girl in there right now. Thanks for the review! **Anon**. Yeah! I'm glad you liked the last line. It was my favorite too! And also the 'my Lily' thing. Thanks. And thanks for the review! **Chelli.** No sequel as of yet, because I haven't finished this one. And yeah, I will definentely NOT put Edward and Bella into this. I'm just not a big fan of crossover fics. As for your last question, the chapter kind of answered it. Sirius is just sad. Chase is a wimp, kind of. And James is very much against Sirius and Chase at the moment and he dragged the other two along. Thanks for the review! **The muddy worm.** Well I hoped this fulfilled your craving. Thanks for the review!** k;alkjf** :) I'm glad you liked it so much. I hope you like the update! Thanks for the review!

I hope everyone liked the chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews. Sorry for the cliffy. I just wanted the suspense, but I didn't want to make the chapter longer.

Until next time

MagicXheart


	10. Pain

****

Pain

Candice fingered Dumbledore's wand, running her fingers up and down the cold, knobby surface. With one hand, she reached up to tuck her brown hair behind her ear. She was stalling. Finally, she spoke.

"Everyone."

She spoke the word quietly, but the charm made it reverberate across the Great Hall. The echoes caused everyone to stop and stare at her. Like the day that she had convinced Lily to go to the ball, the stares continued because of who she was. Candice Dales. She was a legend. She was the heiress, the actress, the model. The students quieted and sat down in their chairs. They wanted to hear her speak.

"I have an announcement to make." The emotions that had consumed her began to wane, her confidence was running low. She had to say her piece before she lost the nerve. "I am no longer Candice Dales." She dropped Dumbledore's wand, no longer needing the charm. Instead she seized up her own. "I am no longer going to be an actress or a model. I am not going to be my parents' heir." She raised her wand to her hair. The tension was tangible in the air. One person in particular couldn't take his eyes off of her. "I am going to stay in Russia and be a Healer for the disadvantaged and poor." She whispered a charm and slashed. Her beautiful, brown, curly, Victorian hair fell to the floor.

Gasps pierced the silence. The materialistic girls' gasps first. Candice had been their idol. Gorgeous, rich girl. She was what they had aspired to be. As her locks of hair fell to the ground, so did her image.

The guys' gasps were second. This was the girl of their dreams. Even though most of them would never dare make a move, not with the Marauders there to protect her, this was the girl that they had fantasies about.

The other gasps weren't audible. They were demonstrated through open mouths and amazed looks. These were the people that actually knew Candice. They knew that she would succeed. All others expected this to be a hoax, an extortion to get more money from her parents. A few expected her to try it and fail miserably. Rich girls weren't brought up to deal with poverty. And that was what she would deal with if she went through with her plan, poverty and despair.

James, Remus, and Peter made up a portion of the third group. Peter and Remus were frozen in their seats, shocked by the announcement. Candice had been an integral part of their life, and now she was finally leaving. James was slightly more vocal in his shock; his very nature made him so. He jumped up and swore.

"James Potter," Dumbledore said mildly. James flushed and sat back down. His mouth was still moving, forming the words. He was losing everyone.

Daniel made up his own group. He was laughing, liking the irony. At the very least, Candice wouldn't be around to remind him of this day.

Lily's reaction was anticlimactic. Her mouth dropped open for a second before she closed it. And then she smiled.

Candice looked for none of them, though. Her eyes searched through the crowd, looking for that one person. But he was no longer there.

* * *

Candice found him walking through the bushes. "Hey," she said softly. She bent down and slipped off her heels. She slipped her fingers through the straps and swung them gently. She matched her pace to Sirius's.

Sirius didn't answer for a long moment. His hands were in his pockets, forcing his jacket up. His tie was undone and jacket open. The appearance would have been casual any other night; tonight it was heart-breaking. "When did you decide?" Sirius finally asked.

Candice was looking at him well she answered. She desperately hoped that he would look at her, that she could know what he was feeling. She wanted to read him emotions. Her voice was quavering when she answered, breaking with emotion. "Last month."

"And this is how you tell me?" Accusatory, angry.

The words struck at her heart. "I didn't tell any of the others." She was defending herself against the accusation. Candice was trying to explain her actions.

The words were ill-chosen. Sirius didn't want to be just 'one of them.' He wanted to be special. He had thought that he was.

"Fine," Sirius answered. He quickened his pace. Long legs allowed him to easily leave Candice behind.

Candice caught up, almost jogging. She placed her arm on Sirius's, forcing him to stop, to pause, to look at her. Sirius did so against his will. His body finally betrayed him. A scowl passed his face, rage or tears in his eyes. He was hurt and it finally showed.

"I didn't know how to tell you," Candice confessed.

"You should have tried!" Sirius accused. The pain had found an outlet: rage. He quickened his pace yet again. He was almost jogging himself now.

A tear streaked down Candice's cheek. Her long, red dress fluttered around her legs as she stopped walking altogether. She had known Sirius for fifteen years; she should have known what his reaction would be. "I'm leaving tomorrow at seven fifty. I invited everyone else to come say good-bye. Will you be there?" She waited for his answer but Sirius just kept walking. Candice stood watching, until her best friend vanished into the night. She watched his blurred outline become smaller, closer to the ground. Finally, when there was nothing left to watch, she watched the stars.

* * *

They gathered at Candice's hotel the next day. First, James arrived by himself. Shortly after, Peter and Remus arrived. They were all rubbing their eyes and dragging their fingers through their hair. It was early in the morning, too early.

Lily slunk in a few minutes later. She was holding the dress draped over her left arm. In her right, she held a bag full of the accessories. She wanted to return them to Candice before she left. She also wanted to thank her. Candice had only been there for two weeks, but already it felt like so much more.

"Hey," Candice greeted them. A smile adorned her face. Her expression brightened even more as they returned the greetings with hugs and kisses.

"So you're really leaving?" Remus asked.

Candice laughed and nodded her head. "Yeah," she answered, "I'm really leaving."

James gave the last hug, not wanting to admit how much losing Candice would mean to him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "No worries. He'll come. Go have fun in Russia." Candice smiled weakly. James knew her too well.

Lily stepped forward to hand Candice the dress. Her arm brushed against James, letting off a spark of electricity. James stepped back, startled, and Lily blushed. She thrust the dress into Candice's hands. "Thanks," Lily mumbled.

"No problem," Candice answered. She took the dress from Lily, stared at it for a quick second, then handed it back. "You keep it."

Lily's mouth dropped open. She couldn't even begin guessing how much the dress had cost. The accessories she did know. The only reason Candice has successfully talked Lily into them was because Candice had promised she would wear them after Lily. "I couldn't," she stuttered.

"Keep it," Candice repeated. "Besides, I would never look right in the dress. The person," _me_ "who bought the dress obviously wasn't thinking of me when they did. And it looks absolutely stunning on you." She gave the guys a significant look.

"Stunning," Peter echoed. Remus nodded his agreement. James remained stoic in his silence.

"Um…thanks," Lily said. She placed a charm on the dress so it would hang in the air without getting dirty. This allowed her to lean forward and give Candice a big hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Besides," Candice murmured into her ear, "you need beautiful shoes to take you beautiful places."

Candice glanced at her watch, a remnant of her acting days, and back up at Remus. "Its seven fifty. I told the head healer I would be there at eight." Her eyes were misted over, her voice uncertain.

Remus swiveled his head. "I don't know where he is." He stepped forward and enveloped Candice in an embrace, trying to make her forget about the absence. "Heal some sick people for us," he joked.

"Yeah," Candice answered distractedly.

He stepped backwards and made a shooing motion with his hand. Candice offered a weak smile in return. She turned on the spot, and with a gun shot sound, she was gone.

"She's really gone," Peter stated the obvious.

"Yeah," someone echoed Candice's reply. "She's really gone."

Sirius stepped out into the open. His black hair hung around his shoulders. A black sweater clung to his shoulders.

James smiled. He had been right. Sirius had come; it was just too late.

Lily had the opposite reaction. "Sirius!" she screamed. "Why aren't you going after her? If you love her, you go after her. It's that simple. Are you satisfied with watching her leave from a distance? How can you call yourself a man?" She ran out of breath on the last sentence. Her face was already bright red. Her words were incoherent, but the meaning was clear.

Sirius started chuckling softly. Lily looked at him like he was insane. Sirius raised one hand to his mouth and laughed some more before explaining. "That's what I always liked about you, Evans." Lily continued giving him the insane look. "You have courage that I never had. You always say what you mean." Lily loved the compliment, but it broke her heart. She had just told the man that she liked to go chase the woman he loved.

"Not the point right now," Remus chimed in.

Sirius reached over and picked up a bag. "How about this?" He answered simply. His friends' heads looked from the bag, to him, back to the bag. "I'm going after her," he told them.

Lily couldn't decide which was greater: the joy that Sirius was chasing Candice, or the pain that he was leaving her.

Sirius turned to look at James, wondering how the news would be taken. James looked at his feet for a few seconds before meeting Sirius's eyes. The two guys weren't so good at the emotional stuff. James scuffed his shoes against the ground before finally talking. "Have a good time in Russia." He said it quietly, but in the silence it was crystal clear.

Sirius inclined his head, acknowledging the comment. Their friendship was broken, but it would mend. He turned on the spot and was gone. The three remaining boys turned around and left Hogsmeade. There was no reason for them to stay anymore.

Lily stood watching the spot that Sirius had abandoned long after everyone else had left. The last few weeks played over and over again in her head and her emotions swirled.

Pain. Happiness. Bliss. Bewilderment. Heartbroken. Pain.

The emotions cycled and Lily was overwhelmed. She pulled the flower out of her pocket; the wilted rose the Marauders had given her three weeks ago. The thing that had cemented her connections with the Marauders, with Sirius. He had saved her because she had received this. Serendipitous.

The emotions cycled. Happiness. Grief. Joy. Despair. Pain.

Lily raised her wand and fire gently flared from the top. She touched the flower to it and watched as it caught fire. She released it into the wind, watched it float away. It caught quickly, as dead things do. She turned around as it was flying and walked away from the scene.

Pain. Delight. Angst. Pain. The emotions cycled and Lily was once again consumed.

* * *

The three Marauders walked side by side, their arms swinging. They had just finished eating at one of the local pubs and were returning to Hogwarts. Remus ran his hand through his hair, a habit he had pick up from James .His shaggy, brown hair managed to stay in place, though. "I can't believe that Sirius went after her," he mused.

Peter nodded his agreement. His nose twitched as he answered, as if he caught a scent in the wind.

"I didn't think that he had the guts." It was a fair comment. Sirius had been noncommittal his entire life. He floated through life, the Marauders and Candice his only connection to it.

Remus nodded his head in answer. "The really unbelievable thing is that Lily told him to go. I always thought that she was desperately crushed on him."

James laughed his usual arrogant self. He slipped his hand into his pants' pocket. "I told you that she never liked him."

Peter rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Still," Remus deliberated. "If Sirius ever came back because things didn't work out with Candice, Lily would still be here."

James considered the point. He also considered how Lily had looked in the dress last night.

The three walked in silence for a few moments longer before Peter picked up the conversation. He began talking about the recent Quidditch match between his team and Remus's.

"Right, James?" Peter asked. The topic had lasted the entire way to Hogwarts. Remus was gloating. Peter was promising revenge in the next match.

"Uh huh," James answered distractedly. He found Lily and watched her walk across Hogwarts' grounds, her head held high. She ignored the cat calls and remarks her peers shouted at her. She held herself like an impoverished queen, with dignity in the face of scorn.

Peter, encouraged by the support, shot off another remark at Remus.

"How could you agree with that?" Remus asked, offended.

"I'll see you guys later," James said, not paying any attention at all. He waved at them and walked in the opposite direction.

xXx

Lily walked. It had been hours since Sirius and Candice had left and she had just managed to block it out of her head. Emotions were tightly locked within a room and they weren't coming out.

She was on her way to meet Chase, like she had promised. A promise she had to keep. Chase wanted her to help him with Potions. A subject he despised already, it was worse at Hogwarts with the stricter curriculum. He was receiving Ts on most of his potions…when he could get the sludge out of the cauldron to present it.

"Lily!"

Someone called her name. She didn't think it was significant. They had been chanting her name all week, trying to annoy her. The punishments were worse when Chase was around, but still bad enough when he wasn't. But then she realized why she had been able to hear her name so distinctly, the silence. Everyone else had stopped taunting her and was continuing on their way to class. She realized who had spoken.

"James," she greeted him warily. The wind whipped through the air, rustling the leaves. It masked the words, making them hard to understand.

The wind blew even harder; the Whomping Willow creaked. "Go on a date with me tomorrow. Three o' clock in front of the mermen statue in Hogsmeade." James was terse, to the point. He gave a command, not a question.

Lily strained trying to hear his words. She picked out date, tomorrow, three, and merman. Enough to pierce the sentence together, but she didn't quite believe it. "What?" she asked, talking loudly.

James took it as an insult. He thought Lily sounded offended, not questioning. "Don't expect me to repeat it. Just be there!" He spun on his heel and walked away. Dramatic exit, surely. But also rather melodramatic.

Lily continued to stand there, shocked into immobility for the second time that day. She ran the words that she had heard through her head in succession. Finally, she shrugged it off. James hadn't spoken to her in a week. Why would he want to go on a date now? She picked up her pace and left to keep another appointment. She was supposed to meet Chase.

* * *

James held up two shirts wordlessly. Remus and Peter both pointed at the same one in unison. James dropped the other one and slipped his arms through their selection. He began buttoning up the shirt well staring into Peter's mirror.

"So tell me," Peter began. He dropped his magazine onto the floor and stretched. Finally he stopped with his back against the headboard. "Why are we picking out your clothes for you?"

James buttoned the last button and turned around to face them. "I have a date with Lily Evans." He couldn't stop the arrogance or the happiness from creeping into his voice.

"Then wear the other shirt," Peter directed. Remus nodded as James sighed.

"Why this shirt now?" James asked, irritated. He pulled off the previous shirt and began working on the other.

"It accents your eyes," Remus said deadpan. James turned around, startled by the comment. Remus burst out laughing. "Seriously, it's just fancier," Remus explained.

"Where you guys going anyway?" Peter asked.

James walked towards the exit, snagging his jacket on the way past. "Just a place I know." He shrugged off all of the effort he had put into picking out the place and walked out of the dormitory. He checked his watch and speeded up his pace. It was already two thirty and a fifteen minute walk to Hogsmeade. He didn't want to be late. James shook his head to get rid of the rain and smiled.

* * *

Lily tapped her quill against the paper and sighed. "Three quills, not five," she repeated. She watched Chase blush and toss three of the quills back into his bag. It was like having Kai back again. Even after their study session yesterday, Chase was hopeless. Lily was bleakly hoping that another one the day after would help, but she doubted it. She raised her hand to stop Chase from stirring the potion in the wrong direction.

"Thanks, Lily," Chase said. He dropped his spoon and collapsed onto the table. "I don't think I would manage to survive without you."

Lily laughed. "You would do just fine," she reassured him.

Chase shook his head in denial. "No, I would crash and burn without you. You know that. Besides, you were always like that. You stood up for everything you believe in. That's why half the guys were in love with you with you at our old school. You were just so nice."

Lily reached out and grabbed his hand again. She took his measuring cup away and handed him a larger one. She pointed at the directions again to make sure he understood them. Her sleeve pulled back as she did. Her watch flashed at her.

Seven o' clock.

"You know what, Chase? I have to go. I'm sorry. I can help you again tomorrow." She jumped up and pulled down her shirt. It was the weekend, so she was dressed in what passed as normal clothes for her: t-shirt and jeans. Muggle clothes.

Chase nodded. "Alright. I'll just finish this by myself." He picked up the measuring cup with the intention of dumping it into the cauldron.

"No!" Lily leaned forward and grabbed the measuring cup again, slightly panicked. She put it down on the table next to him. "Why don't you just wait for me to help you tomorrow?" she suggested.

Chase sighed but nodded. Lily offered him a weak smile and began the walk down to Hogsmeade. She wondered if James would still be waiting there.

* * *

James stood in front of the merman statue, a smile playing at his lips. He checked his watch. 2:45.

He pulled his jacket collar higher, soaked to the bones. 3:30.

He paced back and forth, impatient. The rain poured unceasingly. 4:00.

James finally gave in and leaned against the statue. His energy was sapped. This girl had better have a brilliant excuse. And not one like Chase was dying; that wasn't nearly good enough. He weakly raised his arm up to his face and checked his watch. It was 6:30.

xXx

Lily cast a charm over her head, repelling the rain. Her shoes splashed through the puddles as she reached the last turn.

xXx

"James!"

Lily ran forward, shocked. Water splashed around her as she ran. "James!" Lily repeated.

The rain fell unceasingly on James. It was clear that he hadn't cast the same charm that Lily had. His face was flushed as he wobbled back and forth.

"Lily," he said weakly. His wobbling increased. He took a step forward, trying to reach her, hand out. His legs crumbled beneath him and James collapsed.

"James!" Lily called for the third time. She sprinted forward, trying to catch him before he hit the pavement. She only succeeded in catching his head, cradling it in her lap. She couldn't help thinking that it was her fault that he was like this.

James looked up at her with accusing eyes. "You're late."

"I know," Lily admitted. "Now you need to get somewhere warm. Why didn't you cast a repelling charm on yourself, idiot?" She slid her arm under James's and attempted to pull him to his feet. She succeeded only with a lot of help from him. Her small height just couldn't cope with his.

James frowned at her before deciding that all of his energy was needed to concentrate on walking. "I didn't exactly plan on waiting for four hours." Lily flushed. "Besides, I left my wand in the dormitory. I thought you would like the whole Muggle date thing." He wavered slightly, putting more of his weight onto Lily.

Lily was unexpectedly touched at the thought he had put into the date. "C'mon. I'll buy you a butterbeer."

"And chocolate," James added. He sounded like a grumpy little boy.

Lily sighed and nodded her head.

It took them about ten minute to reach The Three Broomsticks at the pace they were going. Lily deposited James in a chair before going to buy the promised butterbeers. She sighed as she reached into her purse to pull out the money. She was going to have to get a job over break.

"Here," Lily dropped James's drink in front of him with a thud.

James took a long pull of the drink before setting it down. "You know this is all your fault," he coughed.

Lily decided that she still hated him. It seemed, however, that she was stuck with him because he was kind of right. It was her fault. "I'm sorry?" she tried.

James inclined his head. That was the answer he was looking for. "Where's my chocolate?" he asked.

Lily shook her head, slightly frustrated. "They don't exactly sell that here."

James pouted. "You promised."

"Whatever. I'll buy you some later."

"I'll hold you to that," James made his own promise.

Lily noticed that his face was regaining some of his color. It seemed like a good sign. "So tell me," she began, playing with her cup, "what is your house like?"

James put his head in his hand and stared at her. His hair began to dry slightly, going wild like it always was. "Why do you care?"

"Just trying to fill the silence," Lily answered in a hurt tone. She tucked her short, red hair behind her ear. It had gotten wet before she had had the sense to apply the charm. She thought that her and James must look like drowned rats.

"Fine," James drawled. He let his hand drop to his lap and leaned back in his chair. "I live back in London."

"Any siblings?" Lily had only the one sibling, Petunia, but she was enough to drive Lily crazy. And two people like James? One was scary enough.

"No," James shook his head. "I live alone."

"No parents?"

"Nah," James answered. "They mainly over in New York or Paris. Our company has our bigger branches over there that they have to oversee." He said it casually, like every little boy grew up like that.

Lily was beginning to understand how James ended up like he was, all twisted and such. He must have grown up very alone. Still, rich enough to have houses in New York, Paris, and London. This boy was spoiled rich.

"Besides, my cousin Gwen looked after me a lot. She's a lot older than me." James drained his butterbeer and raised his hand for a refill. He tossed some coins to the waitress. "What about you?"

Lily shrugged and put her empty tankard next to her. She didn't have the money to get any more. Especially not if she had to buy James chocolate. "I live in a small town with my parents and sister, Petunia." She leaned forward and changed the subject. "I'm not that interesting, though. Look." She pointed to a man in the corner. He was very short. His tankard was bigger than his head and neck. He was also busy talking to a chair with no one in it.

James turned his head to look at the guy. "Yeah. So?"

Lily looked serious. "Have you never played the 'Guess It' game?" James shook his head, very confused. Lily placed her elbow on the table and began to explain. "You pick someone and guess their history. Why they're there or look like they do." James still looked confused, so Lily took the initiative.

"I'll go first. This guy was out drinking when an anvil hit him on the head. He was squashed and lost about a foot in height during the incident. He wandered in here to find the guy that dropped the anvil."

James laughed as the man in question got up and began yelling at a large rock. "Okay," James answered. "I'm amused. Pick out a person for me."

The two sat laughing and talking for almost two hours. James eventually bought Lily another drink, not understanding why she didn't buy herself one.

Lily was surprised the first time she laughed. After he punched Chase, brought torture upon them, and hurt Sirius, she thought that she would never laugh around James again. More importantly, she thought James would never cause her to laugh. He did have a human side after all. She was reminded of the last time they had walked around Hogsmeade. She hoped this night would have a less traumatic ending.

"The Three Broomsticks is closing early tonight," a person announced.

Lily took a last sip of her drink and looked up at James. "Are you ready to go?"

"Do I have a choice?" James asked, the arrogance of the question softened by the teasing tone he spoke it in.

Lily was dually amused and annoyed by the question. "Let's go," she said, deciding to ignore his comment. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair and stood up.

James made to do the same. He began to get up, only to drop back into his chair.

"James?" Lily asked concerned. His face had lost all of the color it had regained over the past two hours.

James put up his hand to stave off her concern. He got up again, his face turning an ashen color. Lily rushed forward and put her arm around him to support him before he fell again. "You can't walk back to Hogwarts like this," she said.

"I'll be fine," James insisted. "Let's go." He walked out of the pub, leaning on Lily, his face turning more ashen with every step.

"James! You can not make it back like this!" Lily persisted. Her shoulder was beginning to ache with the pressure of James's weight. Her motives were both selfish and benevolent. "I'm not going to let you." She released her arm to make a point.

James managed to take one step before collapsing onto a wall. "Fine," he said. "I'll get a room at a hotel. But you have to stay too. If I have to face the wrath of Dumbledore tomorrow, so do you."

Lily _really _didn't want to do that.

"Or you can help me get back to Hogwarts," James said sweetly.

Lily thought of how much James weighed. "Clever," Lily said.

"I'm serious," James answered. He took another step, putting most of his weight on the wall.

"Fine," Lily broke down. She didn't like the color that his face was turning. She walked over to him and put her arm around him. James smiled in his victory and put his arm back around her shoulder. He pointed towards a hotel and they made their way over there with no small effort.

James weakly walked up to the man at the counter. He took his arm off Lily's shoulder and pulled out a handful of galleons. Lily gaped at the amount. Her parents spent less money than that for rent in a year. She didn't actually remember them ever holding that much money. "One room-" James said.

Lily shot him a dirty glare. She felt guilty, but not guilty enough for that.

"-with two beds," James continued without a pause.

Lily felt reprimanded.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, sir," the man replied cheerfully. He swept the money off the counter and held out a key. "Will you and the lady be needing anything else?" They both heard the sneer in his voice, even though the words were polite.

Lily considered how they must look, soaked to the skin, and for one of them, very sick. Finally, she decided to take advantage of the situation. This man obviously knew who James was. Its not like most of the wizarding world didn't. Their own little celebrity, James was famous. "Yes. We'd like some healing potion if you have it." The sooner James got well, the sooner she could get away from him.

"Yes, madam," the man answered. "It will be delivered to you room shortly."

James nodded and looked at the key. He walked off in the direction of the room, leaving Lily to follow.

"Clothes," Lily said loudly when she entered the room.

James turned around startled. "What?"

"We need dry clothes," Lily explained.

"Oh," James excepted the explanation and collapsed on the nearest bed. He then began to pull of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked in a panicked voice.

James gave her a condescending expression. He held up his hands. "Wand." Lily tossed it to him in confusion. He tapped it to his shirt. An instant later it was try. "I'm a wizard," he said in a singsong voice.

Lily didn't know who she felt like slapping more: herself, for being an idiot and forgetting she could magically dry her clothes, or James, just for being an idiot. "I'm just going to go into the bathroom to dry mine," she said quickly, not wanting to watch James strip all the way.

James nodded. He tossed her back her wand and began to put his shirt back on. Lily slipped into the bathroom and spent a few moments gazing at the place. She now understood why James had paid so much. Finally, she dried her clothes. She stepped out for a second, tossed her wand to James, and then walked back in. She waited a few minutes before leaving for good.

"They brought it," James said when she reentered. He held up an empty bottle and then dropped it on the floor. With his next movement, he returned her wand.

"Good," Lily smiled. She desperately hoped that he would be better by morning. She already had to explain to Chase why she nor James came back to Hogwarts that night. She didn't want to have to explain another day. She walked over to her own bed and slipped beneath the covers. They felt like heaven. "Night, then," she said.

James lay in silence for a few minutes staring at the ceiling. He thought about the day. He had waited for four hours, gotten extremely sick, and was stuck in a hotel away from his friends. "I had fun today," he finally said.

Lily thought about it before answering. "Yeah, me too." She was a little bit shocked to find that that was true. James was pleasant to be around, when he wasn't acting like a jerk.

James lay in silence again, longer this time. "Lily," his voice was hesitant, quiet, "are you in love with Sirius?"

Lily didn't answer.

James stumbled out of bed, not knowing quite what his intention was. He wanted her to tell him no, and she never had been. Or maybe, just maybe, that she was in love with him. He just wanted an answer.

She was asleep.

He watched her chest rise and fall, her face so angelic in sleep. She looked serene. She looked perfect.

She couldn't yell at him well she slept.

He finally sighed and pulled her blanket up. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. It was an un-James like moment. Something he would never be caught dead doing when there was someone to see him. He was James Potter. He was expected to be arrogant, perfect. He had to succeed his father.

His hand trailed down her face, caressing it. He stumbled back into his own bed and curled into a ball. His last conscious memory was of her face.

**A/N**

So everyone thank the four day weekend that gave me time to update. JK. But seriously, school is almost out. Yea! Hope everyone liked the chapter. Please Review!! I will love you forever.

Thanks to Pentagle Prince for the flower burning idea!

Thanks to DeWil and candio08 for catching my mistake last chapter. Switched up Candice and Crystal's name by mistake. Thank you.

And, always, thanks to Arya for being a great Beta. She convinced to rewrite the end, because it wasn't right before. So all you fluff lovers out there (I know you exist, cuz I'm one too) thank her.

Beta offer still stands. If anyone has anything, I would love to help.

**b:** Yep. 'Course the Marauders will get back together. They're kind of happy now. But they will actually back together in a few chapters. Thanks for the review. **ahoyhoy:** Thanks. And thanks for the review. **the muddy worm.** Yeah, sorry. I hate cliffs too. I just kind of wanted to end that chapter and couldn't find a good place. So, no cliff this time. So how did satisfying your craving on this chapter go? Lol. Thanks for the review. **Phia**. Yep. I'm changing the plot a little to fit my own style, but mainly it follows that plot. Thanks for the review! **Louise.** Thanks. I'm busy writing. ;)thanks for the review! **Helper.** Oh, wow. I think you have me beat on Marauder stories, actually. So wow. And thanks. That makes me feel very honored. One of the best compliments I've recieved. Thanks for the review! **Melissa:** OH MI GOD. You got to meet Stephenie Meyer. OH MI GOD. I'm going to sit here and be jealous for a couple million years. How was it? Okay, actually reading the rest of the review now, lol. I feel like you're going to be mad that Candice left. Sorry in advance. Well, advance before you review. And yeah, poor Chase. He never gets to ask her out. Thanks for the review!! **sopleaza.** Lol. I'm glad you liked Sirius's reaction. Thanks for the compliments and review!!


	11. Calm before the

**Calm Before the...**

_The next few days passed in a lull; peaceful, quiet days. It was the calm before the storm. _

Lily woke up with a groan. Her arm flashed out to hit an alarm clock that wasn't there, a habit left over from childhood. Her next instinct was also childlike: "Five more minutes."

James watched her roll over and pull a pillow over her head. He sighed and sat down on the bed. The healing potion had been effective; he was feeling perfectly well. He stared at the wall for a few seconds before losing his patience. "Lily, c'mon. I want to get back in time for food." He tapped his foot impatiently.

Lily didn't respond.

James reached behind him; an evil grin appeared on his face.

"Hey!" Lily protested, alert now. She grabbed the pillow and threw it back at her attacker. James easily avoided it with a twist of his hips. He seized his remaining pillow and chucked it at her head.

Lily attempted a duck and roll tactic. It didn't work so well.

_Thud_

"Lily?" James asked, slightly concerned. He stood up to peek over the edge of her bed. He couldn't tell whether Lily was crying or laughing.

Lily went silent and her hand slid under the bed.

"Lily?" James asked again. He walked closer.

"Ha!" Lily shouted. She jumped up and threw her pillow. It hit James square in the face. She laughed as the pillow slid down to the floor.

James stood stunned for a moment. His face twisted.

Lily suddenly remembered _who_ she had thrown a pillow out. Even if James had waited for her last night, it was still James Potter. The leader of the three Marauders. The richest person at school. The guy that had had her tortured. She took a quick, sharp breath and watched his face with anticipation. Her hand shook slightly as a sense of foreboding overcame her.

James chuckled.

Lily relaxed, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She collapsed onto the bed and ran her hand through her hair. She cursed in her head as she realized what she must look like. Her hair had been vertical in the mornings lately. Another side effect of having short hair.

"Anyway," James said, not noticing Lily's small panic attack, "let's go back to the castle. I'm hungry." He walked out the door, not even pausing to see if she was following. She accredited it to his standing in the wizarding community, people always followed him.

Lily sighed and walked out the door after him. She raised her wand and placed a small charm on her hair to fix it as she did so. She told herself it wasn't vanity; she just didn't want to deal with James's mocking right now. She felt better for the lie.

The walk back was surprisingly pleasant. James stayed silent for most of it, allowing Lily to carry the conversation. She chatted mindlessly, more to fill the awkward silence than because she had anything to say. At first, she babbled about famous Quidditch teams. She didn't know much about them, but she figured all guys were into sports. After that subject was exhausted, with James's sparse replies not providing much filler for the conversation, she moved on to talking about the dance. Around the missing Sirius, she wouldn't have dared broach the subject, it would have been too painful to relive the night. Sirius had left her. She accepted that. She moved on…but still, it hurt.

With James, though, the conversation was perfectly natural. He began to get involved in the conversation when she brought up Daniel. He mocked him endlessly; it seemed like he had already had this conversation with someone. Remus or Peter, perhaps. He seemed to genuinely regret that he hadn't had a chance to inflict his own style of revenge on Daniel. He complimented Lily profusely on her own style. The high, squeaky voice had been his favorite.

Reliving Daniel's humiliation lasted them until the gates. It was seven thirty; their first class, transfiguration, was in forty-five minutes. Lily glanced ruefully down at her clothes. It would take her at least half of that to make it back to the dormitories, change, and come back for breakfast. She was surprised when James stopped to enter the Great Hall.

"I want food," James said like that explained everything.

Lily shook her head. Teenage boys had very few things on their mind.

"Meet me in there before class," he jerked his thumb towards the Great Hall as he gave the command. He was still James Potter, arrogant ruler of Hogwarts. One night couldn't change him.

Lily bobbed her head, a noncommittal answer that could have mean yes, or just been acknowledging the fact that he spoke. If he was still James Potter, than she was still Lily Evans. She didn't like taking orders.

James seemed to sense her unspoken words. "Don't make me wait four hours for you again," he said. His eyes were serious; his tone was scary. He glared into Lily's eye, extracting the promise that she reluctantly gave. Finally, he went into the Great Hall, waving to Remus as he walked. Girls flocked around him; he ignored them as always. The one girl that dared to touch him, he shoved away. Not hard enough to injure her, but enough to make her walk away. Lily watched him, not sure whether she was glad, or pissed.

She walked towards the staircase, with the intent on changing into the school robe. She made it about five feet before she was mobbed.

"Lily!" Chase cried out. He jumped on her with a hug, a friend's gesture full of worry. He finally released her and looked over her clothes. "You didn't come back last night," he said, his tone more serious. He seemed concerned about the fact. It never crossed his mind that Lily would have been doing anything degrading.

Lily shrugged her shoulders and continued walking toward the dormitories, forcing Chase to match her pace. "James got really sick," she explained, not realizing Chase had no idea she had gone to meet James last night, "so we had to stay there. Since it was my fault, I had to stay with him."

Chase's mouth dropped open. A slew of ides ran through his mind, each of them now _very _dirty. He was jealous; jealous and confused. "The guy that is responsible for the torturing?" he stuttered, forcing the words out.

Lily nodded, oblivious.

"Why were you with him!?" _Sirius had left. Sirius had left, so now should have been my chance. _Chase's thoughts showed on his face. Lily was too tired and hungry to notice.

"He asked me out on a date." Lily explained the details; glad she had a friend to talk about it with. Since Candice and Sirius had left, she was left with a short-supply (Chase) of friends. Chase's mouth was alternately dropping and forming O's throughout the story. When it got to the part about James waiting four hours in the rain, Chase decided he didn't believe it. Based on what he saw of James, there was no way this was true.

"Listen, Lils," Chase began. He fidgeted, not wanting to say what he had to, "I have to go to Herbology." Chase didn't qualify for NEWT level courses in that subject. His old school had been sorely lacking. "I'm so sorry. Can we talk about this later?"

They had reached the dormitory by this time. Lily nodded and Chase ran off, a regretful expression still on his face. Lily strolled to her room, still thinking about last night. She changed into her robes, enjoying the unexpected non-torture. She didn't know exactly what to accredit it to, but she was grateful. The other girls sat on the bed, conferencing among themselves. When Lily was about to leave, one finally came up to speak.

"Lily, darling, I love your outfit today."

Lily glanced down at her outfit, the same old robe she wore everyday. A bemused expression decorated her face.

Grace put her arm around Lily's shoulder, in a companion-type gesture. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Is it true you went on a date with James Potter?"

Lily realized why girls were surrounding her. She decided she didn't care. It was a nice change. "I guess you could say that." She didn't know what exactly she would call the fiasco last night. Date fit it as well as any other term.

Grace nodded, as if it was confidential information. She shared a knowing smirk with the other girls and herded Lily out of the dormitory and towards the Great Hall. All of the seventh-year Gryffindor girls encircled her. Crystal and her other Hufflepuff and Slytherin cronies glared at them as they passed. The chatter continued the entire way down. A few girls gave Lily some small, girly objects: new lipstick, nail polish, perfume. Lily was smiling by the time she reached the Great Hall. She had missed this, girl talk. It was nice to have again, as dependent on James as it might be. After all the s James had put her through, he owed her this. She was using him, almost as much as these girls were using her. She admitted it to herself…it left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Lily," James called. A quiet call, but it pierced the air. No one spoke when James Potter spoke.

"Bye, Lily. I'll see you in class." The girls left Lily with nonchalant greetings. They didn't want to push their luck, not yet.

Lily slid into a seat across from James, on Remus's right side. He turned to face her with a smirk on his face. "So you and James walked in wearing the same clothes you were wearing yesterday." It was clear he had been waiting until Lily sat down to say that.

Lily's face flushed. James's face turned red a few seconds later, a chain reaction of sorts. He continued eating his food without saying anything, leaving Lily to clear up the mess. "Nothing happened!" Lily about shouted the denial in now-panicked mood.

Peter laughed at the volume and speed Lily delivered her sentence. "Whatever you say," he said, his very tone making fun of her.

James pushed a plate of food in front of Lily. The food on the platters had already been vanished; it was a hint that they should be getting to class. She was grateful that he had thought of her. She dug into her food, using it as an excuse not to join Peter and Remus's banter.

Time passed quickly that day for Lily. The rumors spread quickly about her and James's 'date.' That itself was enough to protect her from any pranks anyone might be tempted to pull. No one other than Lily was ever stupid enough to risk the wrath of the Marauders. Especially since the Marauders were one short and more irritable without Sirius, the calmest, most detached of the group.

She was escorted to her first class by the Marauders, a further warning to the students of Hogwarts. Peter and Remus had her laughing and relaxed within a few minutes. They managed to make fun of everyone around them and themselves within just a few minutes of conversation. It was a side of them Lily had never seen before.

She had struggled through the first minutes of transfiguration, like always. Remus decided to sit with her, dragging the rest of them with him. James mocked her at first, but eventually he helped her. She was actually able to get through the class.

The rest of the day passed just almost as smoothly.

Chase eventually caught up to Lily, demanding to know more details. He had blushed when he realized the Marauders were standing right behind Lily. Instead, they chatted about the usual things. Within five minutes, James announced he was ready to kill Chase.

Lily laughed and put a protective around his shoulder.

James's eyes grew more brutal and possessive when he saw the gesture. He laced his fingers through Lily's, almost in a threatening way. He was staking his territory.

Chase had laughed and blown it off. He had been there before James and he was sure he would be there after. For her part, Lily had left her hand intertwined with James for a few minutes. After that, she found an excuse to free her hand. She wasn't sure where this was going. More importantly, she wasn't sure where she_ wanted_ this to go.

James eventually left Lily. They had one separate class and he had Quidditch practice. He left her with a smile and a promise extorted. Lily would sit with him again tomorrow. He was staking his claim fiercely, not fighting fair.

Lily was once again enclosed by a circle of girls after the Marauders left, this time they were of all ages and houses. They wanted to know more about the reclusive Marauders. They wanted to know more about James.

Lily finally shook them off with a yawn. She escaped to her bed and pulled the cover over her head. For the first time since she pissed off James, she had a plethora of 'friends.' She went to bed with a smile on her face.

* * *

"Lily!" a voice squealed. Lily turned around. It was not as rare occasion to hear her name lately than it had been even a week ago. It had been four days since her 'date' with James and girls were still flocking her. They were still curious, still accepting. She welcomed the change.

"Lily," the girl said again.

Lily put on a confused expression. She didn't know this girl.

The girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Rosemary. It is so nice to finally meet you." Seeing Lily's expression she furthered her explanation. "I'm a sixth year in Ravenclaw."

Rosemary looked like a porcelain doll: picturesque, but breakable. She was delicate. Innocent. Lily found herself charmed. She shook the proffered hand, amused by the gesture. "Lily," she introduced herself.

"I know," the girl was grinning, but Lily almost felt like there was something off about the situation. Like there was another meaning behind the words; like Rosemary was insulting her stupidity. Lily immediately felt guilty about the feeling; staring into Rosemary's perfect face, it was impossible to dislike her.

"I'm sorry. What did you say your last name was?"

"I didn't," Rosemary answered. Again, there was something off about the words. "Rosemary Wales."

Something clicked in Lily's mind. "You're the girl that all the guys were talking about. The one that just transferred back."

Rosemary smiled bashfully. "I guess so. But then, you're the girl that all the girls are talking about." She fell into pace next to Lily.

Lily smiled at the play on words. "Really?" she smiled. "What were they saying?"

Rosemary shrugged her shoulders and answered with a smile on her face, clearly glad to be the bearer of the news, "You're dating one of the Marauders. The girl that finally captured James."

Lily laughed at the hyperbole. James wasn't going to be captured anytime soon.

"Half of the girls hate you, the others want to be you," Rosemary continued.

Lily was suddenly desperate to change the subject. She didn't want to be reminded of the way she was using James. Then again, she wasn't sure if was just using him anymore. She had actually had fun hanging out with him lately. Who knew that James didn't have to be a jerk all the time? "So why did you transfer out?" Lily asked.

"I never actually went to school here," Rosemary told her. She tucked her blond hair behind her ear, the smile never leaving her face. "I was just accepted all those years ago, so everyone says it like I had attended this school before. In truth, I was just being home schooled. And when my parents died…well, here I am."

Lily felt a flash of pity. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah," Rosemary brushed it off. "It's okay. I'm dealing with it."

Lily stared awkwardly at Rosemary, not really sure what to say. They walked in silence for a few minutes, crossing through the doors that led to the outside. Lily scuffed her foot in the grass as Rosemary stared out at the people. They were all staring back at her and whispering to their friends. Rumors were running rampant, Lily was positive of the fact.

The silence was broken by Remus, who came bounding up to Lily. He was laughing, excited to tell Lily something. "Lily, did you hear…Who's your friend?" The question changed mid-delivery as he noticed who was standing next to Lily.

Rosemary's face colored. "This is Rosemary." Lily decided to ignore what he was going to say before. The odds are he wouldn't want to hear it anyway. Rosemary edged slightly closer to Lily as Remus's glance intensified.

Peter strolled up then, having been going slower than Remus's rate. He was also distracted by the girl next to her. "Rosemary?"

"Whales," Lily supplied. Rosemary herself was still not responding.

"Well, Rosemary Whales," Peter said in a slow drawls. He picked up her hand and brushed it to her lips, "I had no idea that such a level of loveliness existed at Hogwarts. More beautiful than the rose, I don't doubt you lack the thorns."

Lily felt that she should be slightly offended at Peter's comment. He had never called her even pretty. She looked at Rosemary's expression and retracted the feeling. Rosemary looked scared and vulnerable. She pulled her hand away from Peter's with an adorable shyness. "Peter, you're scaring her."

Peter had the courtesy to look shocked. "How could I offend this angel?"

Lily sighed and grabbed Rosemary's hand. She pulled her away from the two Marauders. She supposed that she should be lucky that James wasn't there to capitalize on Rosemary's shyness. "I'm sorry about them," Lily apologized. She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "They were just being them." The players of Hogwarts. The Marauders were brilliant, exceeding most people in everything, just it seemed, not with girls.

Rosemary's bottom lip trembled. Lily was afraid she was going to cry. "Lily, you're so courageous."

That shocked Lily sufficiently enough to leave her standing still. That wasn't what she had expected to hear. The Marauders were pigs, maybe; but Lily was courageous?

"It's just," Rosemary began to explain, "you were so natural around those guys. And they scare me so much. Whenever I'm around a male, I just freeze up."

"And you're so adorable too," Lily said like that was the important thing.

Rosemary continued on her spiel, ignoring Lily's comment. "I admire you so much. Do you think there is anyway that we could be friends?"

The comment was slightly odd. They were plenty of females around campus that had a lot less trouble communicating with males than Lily did. Then again, it wasn't like Rosemary would know anyone. And it was nice to have made a female friend on her own, that wasn't connected to the Marauders in any fashion. "I would love that," Lily said.

A smile broke out on Rosemary's face, obliterating any hint of tears. "I'm so glad. I get to be friends with the girl that defied the Marauders."

Crap. It did have something to do with the Marauders. Lily shrugged it off and sat down against a tree. "So tell me more about yourself, Rosemary."

"Rose, please," Rosemary asked.

Lily nodded. Rose was quicker to say, less old fashioned. "Tell me about yourself…Rose."

* * *

The days had fallen into some sort of pattern, Lily thought well sitting down to breakfast the next day. She ate all of her meals with the Marauders now, James and Chase having reached some sort of peace. She sat with them in class, too. Always next to James. And gradually, the more time she spent with him, the more she liked him.

"Pass the eggs, please," she requested politely.

James handed over the requested dish, a rare smile on his lips.

"What are you so happy about?" Lily asked, truly curious.

"Game against Slytherin tonight," James said with genuine excitement. In this moment, he was her James. The James that she had had the pillow fight with and played Guess It with. He was the childlike James. "You're coming to cheer me one, right?"

"Sure," Lily agreed. She always attended the matches anyway. "I take it you found a keeper?"

"No," James said with some disgust. "We have to use our back-up. He isn't good at all." And the morose, arrogant James was back. The one that Lily didn't like.

She was saved from having to deal with him by Rose's appearance. She waved her over, figuring the best way to cure her phobia of guys was to submerge her in them. And this way, Lily got to sit with a girl instead of just four guys.

"Guys, this is-"

"Rosemary," Rose filled in. Lily wondered why Rose didn't use her shortened name around the Marauders and Chase. She had insisted Lily use it all yesterday, berating her when she slipped up and called her Rosemary a few times. "Rosemary Whales."

"Charmed again," Remus replied, in reference to the fact that he had already met her. Lily didn't bother trying to explain that she was introducing her to James and Chase, the two that hadn't met her. They certainly weren't taking any interest in the new girl. Remus scooted over, allowing Rose to sit down between him and Peter. Submersion tactic; Lily wondered if it would actually work.

Rose chuckled slightly and took the offered seat. Her features still appeared nervous as the conversation picked up again. James remained silent, allowing Peter and Remus to banter among themselves with an occasional interjection from Lily or Chase.

The conversation finally circled back to Rose, as Lily had figured it would. "So when did you transfer here, Rosemary?" Remus asked.

"Last week," Rose said in a small, quiet voice. Her hand trembled slightly as she lowered the fork back to her plate. "Lily offered to show me around." It was a spin on what had actually happened, but not one that was worth correcting.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing with an escort like Lily? I'm sure plenty of guys would love to escort you around." Remus charmingly delivered the line. Somehow it didn't sound corny coming from him.

Rose shook her head and glanced down at the plate before meeting Remus's eyes. "No they wouldn't. I'm ugly."

Peter laughed at the sentence coming out of Rose's mouth. "If you're ugly, what does that make Lily?" He meant it as a throw away comment, not to be taken seriously.

James stirred from his position. His head had been resting on his arm as he stared at the Slytherin table. "Lily's pretty."

Lily didn't believe him. Not when she was being compared to a girl like Rose. Still, hearing it from James…Lily blushed. Her heart beat began to race, embarrassing her even further, even if no one could hear it.

She didn't look at James, not wanting him to see her face. Instead, she looked at Rose. She saw a trace of malice in her eyes. It surprised her. The words she heard next from Rose made her think that she was crazy. "You two make such a cute couple. I'm jealous." Rose was so nice, so why did the glint of spite?

Lily shook it off, feeling her face loose some of the blood that had rushed to it. She finally dared to look at James. "Thanks," she said slightly embarrassed.

James seemed embarrassed too. It was the first time Lily had ever actually seen him this way. "I'm going to class," he mumbled. He stood up and grabbed his bag. Lily watched him go, confused by her own emotions. This was James Potter. Why did her pulse race when he called her pretty? And why did she enjoy it so much?

"Lils," Chase said, distracting her from her thoughts, "you want to go to class too?"

Lily shook her head, still eating. She watched the rest of them leave, Rose leaving also with an apology. She offered the excuse that she didn't want to be late. Lily smiled at the effect Remus and Peter were having on her. If nothing else, those two might actually cure her phobia. About two minutes after they left, their seats were taken by other girls.

"Who is that girl hanging out with the Marauders?" Paige asked.

"Oh, that was Rose…mary Wales." The name felt odd on her lips already. Paige, Grace, and a few of the others flinched at it. "What?" Lily asked, curious.

Paige reached into her bag and pulled out a magazine. The type of magazine that girls didn't generally 'read.' Only guys. The type of magazine that girls posed for. She flipped through it and pointed to a picture of a girl, the face covered by a banner. "That is Rosemary Wales."

Lily shook her head in disbelief. "It couldn't be. Who told you that?"

"I confiscated this from my boyfriend," Paige explained. "When I asked why he had it, he told me he was holding it for his friend. A lie, obviously. But he also said that that friend was a girl. When I pressed him, he told that his 'friend' was in the magazine. Want to guess what the girl's name was?"

Lily shook her head again, in denial. "Rosemary wouldn't do something like that."

"Whatever," Grace brushed it off. "You won James, right?" She didn't give Lily time to reply, instead pressing onto her next question. "You want to go to Hogsmeade with us tonight?"

Did anyone respect the rules here? "Sure," Lily nodded, impatient with the subject. At least she would get some girl time after the match.

* * *

Gryffindors won against Slytherin, of course. Austin did a horrible job as keepers, as James had said. James though, more than made up for the fact. The three chasers worked flawlessly as a team. They managed to perform the keeper's job for him and score a plethora of points. James scored more than three-fourths of the points, everyone noted without surprise. The game ended when Liz, a fourth-year, snared the quaffle. The score was 230-40.

Lily had cheered for James, just like he requested. At one point he stopped his broom in front of her and waved with a smirk just as she was clapping. Lily flushed and yelled at him. The girls around her swooned. Peter and Remus just laughed.

James and his team flew a victory lap around the pitch, rubbing it in the Slytherins' faces. No Slytherin dared to boo him, like they would have any other Gryffindor. It was just another sign of his insane power. He was the first to make it back to the changing rooms and the first back to his friends.

"Congratulations," Lily said when she saw him. The others echoed her words. Chase's was a tad bid reluctant.

"Thanks," James said. He ran his hand through his sweat soaked hair. "You guys want to go out for a victory drink?"

Lily shook her head. "I made plans, already. Sorry." She actually did kind of regret the fact. It surprised her, although not more than the pretty thing this morning. A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered it.

"You aren't meeting a guy, are you?" James suddenly snapped. He looked anxious. Arrogant, possessive, and anxious.

"No," Lily answered him. She wondered if he was jealous. "Grace and a few of the others asked me to go out with them."

James nodded, accepting the explanation. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, causing Lily's blush to become more pronounced. "Good, 'cause you're my girlfriend now."

Lily knew he was being controlling. She knew she shouldn't like it. But for some reason she did.

"Lily," Grace called. James released her and Lily walked off. She turned around to see James still standing there, staring at her. Finally, Remus and Peter moved in front of him, cutting off her view.

* * *

"Here, Lily," Grace set down a drink in front of her She was already legal at seventeen. Lily was still underage. The night when she had gone to buy the drinks for the Marauders, she had done so without an ID. This establishment would definitely ask for one.

"Look at that guy," Rachel pointed towards a teenager walking towards them. He was American, and he looked it. It counted as exotic in a town like this. He resembled Sirius, Lily thought. She laughed to herself, realizing she was already slightly intoxicated on her first sip.

"Hello, ladies," the man said. "May I buy you another round?" He had a tilt to his voice. American, but with an Irish accent. He looked half-Irish as well. It was enough to get the girls to giggle.

The man on Lily's right side. He soon had her laughing, an easy achievement in her state. She was tipsy, not drunk, but tipsy. She took another sip of her drink and laughed again. She spoke a little, but mainly sat there, listening to the conversation flow around her. She finished the drink that Grace had bought her, accepting the one the man offered her as a replacement. It was a plain lemonade, like she requested. She didn't want to be hung over the next morning. She had already had to experience that this month and she didn't want it to happen again. Lily took another sip of the lemonade and turned to face the man directly. It was her last complete memory of the night.

* * *

A/N.

So this is now my: longest story (word wise), most alerted, and most number of reviews per chapter. So I just want to take a second to thank all of my reviewers and readers. I probably would have given up a long time ago without you. And I was scrolling through HP Lily/James stories today and I realized how rare it was to have this many reviews. So you guys are great. I feel very luck. Thank you!

And now that the sappy part is over, lol: sorry for the kind of cliff hanger. But it was the end of what I'm writing about that day, so…The next chapter should be up soon, because it's summer!! I'm still Betaing, if anyone wants. And I have a facebook now if anyone really cares about me. Lol. Jk. Ask me for it in a review or PM if you want it. Other than that, see you next chapter.

Props to my beta, Arya, as always. I owe her bunches by now.

**The muddy worm**: not a lot of drama. Sorry. Its all in the next chapter, which will be titled storm, if that wasn't obvious. Lol. Thanks for the review, as always. **Melissa.** You were doomed to make me jealous. Sorry. Oh, well. First chapter of breaking Dawn is out. Have you read it? What are your theories on the preface? I'm glad you liked Sirius going after her. Thanks for the compliments. I loved the enthusiasm. Thanks for the review.** Ion16**. aww. Thanks. And thanks for the review. **Ahoyhoy.** I'm glad you think that way. I love reviews. Lol. If I haven't said that a billion times already. Anyways, thanks for the great compliments. Although I think you have my beta to thank for the lack of grammar errors. I try and catch them, but she is brilliant at it. And I am really glad you loved that line. It was my favorite of last chapter. :) Thanks for the review!!


	12. Raging Storm

Raging Storm

Lily groaned. Her hand flew up to her head, trying and failing to prevent it from splitting open. She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head, hoping that would make the birds stop chirping.

Five minutes later her eyes flew open and she screamed at the top of her lungs: "SHIT!"

* * *

Lily walked back to the castle running the details of last night and this morning over and over in her head. She was only getting flashes of the former one.

_The American man smiling._

_Lily laughing. _  
_  
She was standing up. _

_Falling unto a bed. _

She massaged her temples, trying to remember more.

_The American's smile._

She groaned as a bird chirped out a high-pitched song, making her head ache. She had only had one drink; she shouldn't be anywhere near this hung over.

_Flashes of light._

The memory didn't fit with the others. She wondered if that had happened back at the nightclub. She thought harder and came up blank. She wasn't going to remember anything else about that night anytime soon. She moved on to what had happened that morning.

She had only been wearing her underclothes; that was reason enough for panic. She couldn't remember anything except that American man, even more of a reason.

However:

There had been no blood. She had still been wearing her underclothes. If nothing else, she was still a virgin.

Still:

She was going to kill that American man if she ever saw him again. He must have slipped something into her drink. She wondered if any of the girls she had been with remembered his name. If he had said it. After more thought, she decided she didn't want to ask. She didn't want them asking awkward questions about what had happened. Questions that she couldn't answer right now.

She snuck back into the dormitory without anyone catching her. She was forced to resort to hiding behind tapestries, but she did it.

Questions: they had to be avoided.

The scorching, hot shower helped the most. It washed away the grime of last night; it washed away the worries of this morning. She lost herself in the steam of the shower, trying to escape her own mind.

* * *

"Stop," Peter commanded. When James ignored him, he reached over and placed his hand on top of James's, effectively stilling the tapping fingers.

"What?" James looked up, wondering why Peter's hand was on top of his.

"You were tapping again," Remus explained. He raised his hand, in a sudden greeting. James turned his head to discover who it was; his expression fell when he did.

"Hey, Rosemary," Peter greeted. He scooted over again, offering a seat between him and Remus. Rosemary seemed to be perpetually placed between the Marauders.

"Hello," Rosemary greeted them softly.

"Have you seen Lily?" James demanded brusquely. There was a sense of urgency about his words. Remus was a bit startled by it. Lily seemed to have a captivating affect on the Marauders. First Sirius. Now James. He desperately hoped she wouldn't abuse the power. Neither could survive it.

"Not since yesterday at dinner," Rosemary answered shyly. An odd smile appeared on her lips, staying only for a second. James was irritated for a reason that he couldn't explain. Something about this girl grated him. He thought he knew her from somewhere.

Rosemary began to pick at a piece of French toast. Peter and Remus quickly engaged her in conversation, forcing her to give up that pursuit. She didn't seem to mind overly much. When James went back to drumming his fingers, no one noticed.

xXx

James leapt up from his seat. "Finally," he said to no one in particular. Remus turned around to look over his shoulder, wondering what had elicited such a strong reaction. Lily and Chase were walking through the doors. Or course. He laughed to himself and turned back to Peter. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

xXx

"Missed you last night," Chase said. His hands were swinging at his side as he said this. Dark rings under his eyes gave testimony to his statement.

"Mm hmm," Lily murmured, her eyes not focusing on him. She was lost in memory; in her thoughts.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?" The answer was again murmured, Lily still not paying attention.

"Look at me," Chase told her. This finally got Lily's attention, or at least most of it. She turned to stare into his eyes, green meeting brown. "Are you okay?"

Lily considered the question. She rolled it over in her mind. Chase was her best friend; what did she want to tell him? Finally, she decided to tell him part of the truth. A half-truth isn't a complete lie. "I'm going to be fine," she said.

Chase was stopped from further questioning by James's arrival.

"Where were you last night?" James asked. A desperate question; a desperate command. Chase jumped at it, startled by the person it was coming from. He assumed Lily had been with James. "I couldn't find you when I came back to the common room."

"Were you waiting for me?" Lily inquired. In part, it was to distract him. She didn't want to answer him. Mainly, it was because he had jumped up as soon as she entered the cafeteria.

"What?" James asked in return, thrown by the question. It wasn't the greeting he had been expecting. He shook his head as soon as the question processed. "No, of course not. Why would I wait for you?"

Lily shook her head, amused by his answer.

James tried to slip back into casualness, back into the person he had been before Lily Evans. He tried and failed.

"You want to go get something to eat, Lils?" Chase asked.

Lily shook her head in silent denial. Her stomach rolled at the thought. "Not unless any of those things are a hang over cure."

James laughed, cruelly with a hint of amusement. He reached into his pocket and held a pill out. Offering it to Lily on his open palm, he smiled sweetly.

"What is it?" Lily asked suspicious.

"Hang over cure," James answered, quoting her earlier words back to her. Lily looked at him with a question painted on her face. "I figured that you would be a little hung over today. I still remember the last time you had alcohol." And puked on his shoes.

Lily took the unspoken reprimand along with the pill. She popped it dry. She felt her headache lessen almost instantaneously. "What is this?"

"A little of this, a little of that," James answered, knowing it would infuriate her. Lily narrowed her eyes. James laughed. "I have no idea, honestly. Remus gave it to me. He bought it at some herb store." Lily accepted that answer with much more grace.

"What did you do last night?" Chase asked, still puzzled.

"Hung out with Grace and them," Lily answered, glad that James had provided her with an excuse of sorts. Let's go get food," she distracted both of them with one comment. Without the headache, food sounded _much_ more appealing.

When they sat down, Rose waved bashfully and blushed. Lily noted that up to that moment that she had been having a very vigorous conversation with Peter and Remus. She hoped this meant that Rose was coming out of her shell.

"Hey," Lily greeted. She put a heap of her food on her plate, Chase mimicking the gesture. James was sitting at the seat he had abandoned earlier, his food still untouched in front of him.

Lily abstained from the conversation to enjoy her food. Instead, she listened to Remus tease James. He thought that James had been waiting for Lily, too.

Lily gradually relaxed into the conversation, back into the person she had been yesterday. James reached to take her hand under the table halfway through breakfast, when she finished eating. She flinched at first, withdrawing from his touch. It was too soon, too recent. Vague memories of last night came back to her. Nothing concrete, just feelings, emotions she didn't remember.

After a second, she hesitantly curled her hand around his. She needed to get over this, conquering the hurdle. She would forget.

James smiled as she took his hand. He squeezed her hand for a second, not allowing anyone else to know what had just happened. He continued his debate about last night. He insisted that one of his maneuvers had screwed up, saying that he had released the quaffle a second too late. Peter disagreed. He blamed it on another chaser.

Both of them knew what had just passed. Lily resigned herself to it. They were dating now.

* * *

James found numerous opportunities to touch Lily that day. A casual touch on the shoulder, grabbing her hand whenever it was free. He was enjoying this, the dating thing. Lily even smiled once, when he took her hand as they walked across the grounds. The other girls sighed and moaned when he did. Lily knew what they were thinking. They all wanted to be her. They all wanted James Potter to be holding their hand.

* * *

Lily smirked and looked at Chase with unbelieving eyes. "I don't trust you. No way those two would date."

Chase nodded his head earnestly. "It was about a year after you started school here, I think. Turns out, Trish liked him all along. It was just her friends that didn't. They didn't approve of his glasses."

Lily pictured Trish, the Crystal of her last school, dating Lucas, the nerd of all nerds. He was nice; she had always s liked Lucas far more than she liked Trish. It was just: "Wow. I never thought I would see the day."

Chase laughed. "I thought you already knew, or I would have told you earlier." His next laugh was broken up by a yawn. He stretched his arms behind his head, clearly drowsy. "Well, I'm going to bed. Night, Lils."

Lily waved to him and leaned back in her chair, lost in memories. Her eyes began to slip closed.

"Lily," James shook her out the past by saying her name.

Lily jumped slightly. "Yeah," she murmured.

"Go to bed." The command was softened by the way he said it. He grabbed her hand once more, pulling her out of the seat.

Lily wasn't prepared for the strength that James used. She was used to Chase; when he 'helped' it generally required more effort on her part than if he had stayed away. James was conditioned through years of…something. She wouldn't have though Quidditch players gained much muscle, sitting on broomsticks all day.

He grasped her hand and pulled. Lily jumped to her feet without the same amount of power she would always use, her sense muddled by her grogginess.

Lily went flying.

She landed in a heap on the floor, yanking James right along with her. Their limbs tangled together. Everyone in the common room turned to gawk. No one dared let even a giggle escape from their mouths.

The two untangled themselves, Lily not daring to say anything. She was slightly afraid to breathe. If it had been Chase, she would not have been afraid. The two would have stayed lying on the floor, hopelessly entwined, and laughing until their sides ached. Sirius most likely would have sighed. He didn't experience emotions quite the same as others. Even Remus, she would not have been concerned. He probably would have laughed or made a perverted comment.

But this was James.

She remembered the first time they had had a genuine conversation. Well, argument. She had been civil enough, actually. He had been the one screaming that time. Kai and Lily had spilled a potion on him and he had gotten his revenge. They were 'dating' now, but she had injured him again. Made him a laughing stock. She waited on the ground, staring up at him. Waiting for his answer. She hated herself for it.

James's hand covered his mouth, his shoulders were shaking.

Lily heard a chuckle and sighed. Her shoulders relaxed.

James let go of his control. He allowed his hand to drop and full out laughed. The type of laugh that cleanses the person who laughed. When he could finally breathe, he turned to look at Lily. "Never knew you were such a klutz."

An insult. It wouldn't be James if it wasn't an insult. But it was lessen slightly by the way he said it. No one else would notice it, but for Lily it was enough. James was changing. He wasn't the arrogant prick he used to be. For now, that was enough.

James chuckled once more. "I would offer you a hand up, but I'm afraid what would happen."

Lily pushed herself off the floor, ashamed by the fact she was sill on it. "It's your fault, too!" she protested. She was regaining the fire that made her herself. She wasn't afraid of this James; she didn't fear the consequences for her friends.

James shook his head. "No. I could never be that clumsy. Too many years of Quidditch."

Lily shook her head at his arrogance. It was still James.

It hadn't been anyone else's reaction. Not anywhere near. But then, she thought this was the one she preferred.

They walked to the staircases, Lily laughing too. "Night, James," she said softly.

James leaned down, all six foot five inches of him, to kiss Lily's forehead. Gently, quickly, softly. As chaste as a father kissing a daughter good night, it was one of the sweetest things he had ever done.

Lily's hand was on her forehead as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Mail," Chase announced the next day through a mouthful of food.

"Thanks," Peter said sarcastically. Chase rolled his eyes, careful to do it so that Peter wouldn't see. After all, Peter had the power to send a rose too, and Chase had just gotten over the last one. He really wasn't eager to repeat the process.

The Marauders had various packages and letters deposited around them, per usual. They each took care of various aspects of their family businesses. Sirius, when he was still here, always had the most.

They were being groomed to take after their fathers. Sirius already had.

James's pile was the largest in his absence. He tied it to several of his own owls and commanded them to take it all to his dormitory.

Lily was shocked to get her own letter. She had never received one before. She privately laughed at the image of Petunia actually sitting down to write her sister a letter. Lily slit the letter open with her knife, ignored by everyone else. She gasped when she saw the closure of the letter.

_Sincerely, _

_Finn Smith_

_The American's smile. His mouth forming the words with a hint of smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "My name is Smith, Fin Smith. It's a pleasure to meet you…?"_

"_Lily."_

_The man smiled, a glint in his eyes. He held up the lemonade she had requested. She took it with a faint smile, hoping this guy wouldn't get the wrong idea. "It feels like fate, meeting you here tonight, Lily."_

Fin. Irish first name.

Smith. A common name in America.

Irish American.

She had been right. The knowledge was bitter, a sour expression twisting her face as she read the closure over and over, cementing the words in her brain.

Fin.

Fin.

Chase peered at her with concern etched deeply on his face. He lowered his face, so that he was looking up at her. "Lily, are you alright?"

Lily shook her head even as the words spewing from her mouth contradicted the action. "I'm fine." A complete, flat-out lie this time. There was no way to disguise this with a half-truth; no way to soften the blow. She thought of her vow, the one she had given in anger on the walk home. She would kill this man for doing this to her.

Lily quickly scanned the rest of the letter.

_Meet me at the gates before eight._

The message was simple. However the single sentence revealed more than entire stories. This man knew she attended Hogwarts. He knew that she could leave and get away with it. He knew her last name. There were no more sudden flashbacks of memory to accompany these new epiphanies. No insights to tell her how he learned these things. Had she told him?

"Lily?" James asked. The question had an edge to it. Emotions pulsed through it. Worry, being the overlying one. Concern, jealousness, protectiveness. James wanted to protect her from whatever caused the pain he saw swirling in her eyes.

"I'm fine," Lily replied. Her hand shook with the letter in it, obscuring the words.

"Great," James answered her, a bite to his voice now. "But that wasn't what I asked you."

Lily put the letter down and turned her head to look him in the eye. She finally gave him the most attention she could at the moment. It wasn't undivided; she couldn't get the letter off her mind. She would kill him. "Sorry. What did you ask me?"

"Who is the letter from?" James repeated himself with more patience than normal.

Around her, people were staring at her. Chase's eyes were full of the same concern he had expressed just a moment ago. Peter and Remus had confusion etched in theirs. Rose smiled for a split second before it was replaced by a more curious look. "Just from somebody I know," Lily answered vaguely.

Questions. She didn't want to answer them.

James shook his head. "Whatever. You want to hang out?" The question was directed at Remus, Peter, and Lily.

Lily shook her head as Peter and Remus nodded. "I'll be back. I forgot something." She took off, leaving everyone else behind.

"James, is this yours?" Rose handed James a letter that had fallen out of his stack. Around them, he heard gasps and laughs as people opened their own mail.

xXx

All of Lily's confusion vanished by the time she reached the gates. In its place remained a single, focused emotion. Anger. She stomped up to Finn and slammed the letter into his chest.

"You have one minute to tell me why I shouldn't kill you," Lily threatened through gritted teeth. She removed her hand, allowing the paper to flutter to the ground, flashing words up at them in a taunting, teasing way.

The man smiled pleasantly. Lily was suddenly struck by his appearance. She had been wrong last night. He bore no resemblance to Sirius. His blond hair was cut short. Green eyes, matching hers, were framed by long, blond eyelashes. He would have been handsome, if it weren't for the way she had met him. He shouldn't need to drug girls.

"Why would you want to kill me?" he asked. "I personally had a rather enjoyable evening with you. I thought you liked it as well."

Lily shook her head, unprepared for his reaction. Enjoyable evening? He didn't sound like a man that would have slipped her something. He didn't even sound like he knew that Lily had been drugged.

"I don't remember that night," she told him, gauging his expression.

"Really? I must say that no girl had ever told me I'm forgettable." He was teasing her. He thought she was teasing him.

_Flashes of light. Not one, plural. _

Lily shook her head, clearing it, trying to remember. Nothing else came to her. Instead, she concentrated on the here, on the now. "I don't just not remember you. I don't remember anything. You slipped something in my drink."

"Quite possibly." He grinned and Lily wanted to hit him. "However, it is just as possible you don't remember because you were drunk. You had a whisky in your hand when I met you. Did you have a hang over yesterday?"

Lily felt her hand tremble. She closed it into a fist, containing, controlling herself. "I had that _one _whisky." She stressed the one. It was important. "You handed me my lemonade."

"I had an enjoyable evening last night, Lily Evans." He echoed his earlier words. "I would like to get to know you better."

"No," Lily answered, shaking her head. Her red hair whipped around her face. "No, no, no, no, no."

Fin smiled at her excess. He raised a hand in greeting, welcoming the person that had just walked outside. "I'm getting the feeling you don't like me as much sober," Fin said pleasantly. He was still smiling.

"Just leave," Lily told him angrily. She didn't need to raise her voice to make her displeasure clear. "I don't know you. I don't want to know you. Most importantly, I don't want to know what happened last night." She turned around with the intention of leaving, of stomping away, of leaving him there.

"Rose!" she gasped in surprise. She noticed her mistake after she said it, even in her rage. She had misspoken, called her Rose, not Rosemary.

Rosemary didn't correct her mistake. "Lily. Fin," she greeted them warmly. She turned to Lily with a smile engraved on her features. "How do you know Fin, Lily?"

Lily shook her head slightly to block Fin's response. "I briefly met him last night. He was kind enough to return my bracelet. The clasp is always breaking. It must have broken last night during the minute we spoke. How do you know Fin?" she ask, suddenly curious. Rose had seemed so frightened of Peter and Remus originally. It surprised Lily that she would hang around with Fin and yet be scared of them.

"Family friend," Rose answered her. She smiled at Fin as he nodded. "We've known each other since the cradle. He doesn't count as a guy anymore."

"Hey," Fin protested the comment. Lily was almost relaxed by their bantering. It made the situation seemed almost normal. "I am too a guy. Would you like me to prove it to you?"

"Eww! No!" Rose shrieked. Her doll-like features twisted into a face of disgust. Lily was reminded of the first time she had spoken to Peter. The thought comforted her somehow. "What are you doing here?" Rose asked Fin, surprise and shock emanating through her voice.

"I wanted to surprise you," Fin told her. "I came in on Friday night. I had to take care of some business in Hogsmeade. So I figured I would come see you today." He held his arms open for a hug. He smiled and chuckled quietly to himself.

A flash of irritation flashed through Rose's eyes as she hugged him. "I'm so glad you came," she practically sang it out.

Lily blushed, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment. "I'm going to go back to the castle," she told them with a jerk of her hand. "I'll see you later, Rose. Thanks again, Fin." She turned around, running over what had happened in her mind. She had come out here to kill the man, and now she was running away from him embarrassed. Maybe it was the truth that she had gotten drunk that night. Not likely, but possible. Anyway, it was over. She comforted herself with the fact that her friends were waiting for her.

* * *

When she walked back into the Great Hall, she was bewildered by the silence. No, that wasn't right. It was the lack of noise. It reminded her of that Thursday morning. When Crystal had sent out all those letters…

"James," Lily said, a prologue into asking him what was happening.

James didn't answer her. He was staring at something in his hand.

"James," Lily tried again. Concern filled her voice this time. Everyone was turning to stare at her. It was just like that Thursday.

James stood up and turned to face her. He lifted one leg, clearly intending to walk away. Lily moved out of the way. "James! Say something."

James walked away, leaving Lily standing in his wake. Something fluttered as he dropped it to the ground.

Another picture.

Lily swept down to pick it and the memory that accompanied it came flashing back.

_Lily was barely conscious. She was groggy, her judgment and vision impaired. Her voice was weak, almost inaudible. "Smile for the camera," Fin whispered with a cruel joke in his voice. His lips were on her bare shoulder. Lily tried to push him away. Her arms wouldn't respond. Over his shoulder she saw flash of a camera and a girl's hair flying. _

Her picture-self stared back at her, mocking her with every movement. In the picture Fin's back was to her. She was facing the camera. Her eyes were sad, pathetic, screaming. She doubted anyone would notice. So it was a true memory.

"Nothing happened," she called after him, hoping to make him pause. "Believe me. I need you to believe me." Her voice broke on the last sentence; she was losing control.

She watched James walk away from her, feeling déjà vu steal over her. It was happening all over again. Crystal had sent another letter. Crystal had taken another picture. Crystal had made James walk away all over again.

Except.

This time Lily hated the guy that she took a picture with. This time Lily cared that James was walking away. This time Lily wanted to scream after him.

This time…

It was Lily's heart walking away and she hadn't even realized it until it was gone.

* * *

Lily ran out the doors. Her eyes were murderous; her heart was intent on completing the promise they held. Her vivid red hair, so much like flame, whipped around her. She looked like the devil…and she felt like it.

"Fin!" she screamed as soon as she saw his back. He wasn't escaping her. He was going to explain himself.

Fin turned around, a half smile playing at his lips. "She sent the photos out then."

"Why?" Lily asked. He wasn't going anyway and she wanted to know before she extracted her revenge. She deserved to know.

Fin shrugged his shoulders. He turned around and kept walking. Lily quickly caught up to him and matched his pace, her wand still at the ready. "I owed her a debt," Fin finally said quietly. "I'm not proud of it, but I owed her. This was the only way I could absolve it."

"So she could have James," Lily mused out loud.

Fin nodded his head. "That's what she said."

"What did you owe her?" Lily asked the question in a quieter tone than she had before. She was awaiting his answer. It was his answer that would measure how angry she was; how much he owed her; how he would repay that debt.

Fin ducked his head and squirmed. It was the first time that Lily had seen him loose control like that. It was only for a second, but she saw the scared man he must have been. It wasn't easy to have a witch angry at you. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…and a witch had much more dangerous powers at her fingertips. He had human in him. Lily saw that. Still, it didn't excuse the debt owed.

"Money," Fin forced out. "I owed a gambling debt, a large one. One night, she promised, and she would ignore it. One night, one prank on one girl, and I wouldn't die. She's dangerous, Lily."

That wasn't a good enough answer. Money. It didn't excuse the debt owed. It was not yet repaid.

"One prank. One girl." Lily let an evil, feral grin widen on her face. The green eyes lent her a cat-like quality; a predator. "You picked the wrong girl."

Lily had time to release only one curse on him before his dispparated, off Hogwarts' grounds by then. It was a curse that he wouldn't forget. A single curse to absolve the debt to a single girl.

* * *

James walked down an empty corridor, embracing the silence. The picture ran through his mind over and over. A picture of Lily and Sirius. Lily and Stranger. Lily, Sirius. Lily, Stranger. Lily, Stranger. Stranger, Sirius. The pictures blurred together in his mind as they played over and over again. He couldn't forget about them. It was engraved on his consciousness.

He threw his head back and let out a growl. An inhuman growl. If he had been slightly saner, he would have recognized the wolf's howl. He would have thought of Remus and laughed. If he had been sane, he wouldn't be capable of making that sound.

"I'm so sorry, James," a voice said behind him.

James turned, anger flashing in his eyes, wondering who was stupid enough to come near him when he was like this. "Rosemary," he forced out.

"You didn't deserve this," Rose whispered in a calm, soothing tone. She began rubbing his back, calming him as one might a wild animal.

James wrenched himself out of her grasp, not able to stand the human touch. He paced back and forth in the short corridor, his rate fast and unstable. He was falling apart. He still heard her voice.

_Believe me. I need you to believe me. _

He went faster. Physical pain to block out the mental. His fist flew out to slam into the wall; blood trickled down his knuckles, down the wall.

"She was cheating on you. She didn't deserve you. She didn't realize how special you were. Lily didn't love you, James."

The words flew through James's head. A broken record.

_Believe me. _

**She didn't love you.**

_I need you to believe me._

**She was cheating on you.**

_Believe me._

* * *

Lily walked back into the courtyard. Her heart was breaking. She played with the wand at her side. It dangled loosely as she tapped it against her leg.

Then it flew away. She hadn't even heard the charm.

The voices of the mob were lost to sheer number. All she could hear was an angry murmuring. Vicious accusations floated over her, enveloping her. She didn't have any proof that they weren't real. Fin was gone. She had no way to find him. And there was no way that Hogwarts was going to allow James Potter to be injured without extracting the payment in flesh.

Lily saw Crystal standing on the side, a pleased grin lighting up her face. Her two cronies wore the same grins. They had the same pleased, contented air.

Lily looked around for a professor. There were none. She could only imagine what excuse the students had used to get rid of them. She hoped none of them were hurt. Not for her.

The first curses were the worst. They hit the hardest. Lily was left gasping for air.

She didn't beg. She wouldn't give them the pleasure.

She saw her wand lying uselessly by a pillar. She was looking at it when the next curse hit her.

Blood splashed against the pavement.

* * *

_Believe me_

* * *

AN: Sorry! But before you kill me, this was the best way to end it. I'm already about halfway into the next chapter and I just couldn't find a good stopping point, if fact I found some worse ones. So the next chapter will be up soon, I hope. I'm getting to write a lot during summer. And if you're still going to kill me, consider this. Lily and James were married...

So bookworm2butterfly posed an interesting idea. A story from Sirius's point of view. He will be coming back in a couple chapters, but is anyone interested in it? It'll be showing his and Candice's time together. I'll put a poll up in my profile, so come vote.

**lifeinthesky:** Thanks. I hope it lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review! **ahoyhoy:** Thanks. On Rosemary, I don't want to give it away. But let me just say that you're close. Red hot. Whatever expression you prefer. I love the pocket beta idea. I would get an A for grammar in school, at least. Thanks for the review! **Reader:** Thanks. I hope it lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review! sopleaza: My bad. I did in chapter 8. I just forgot to bold your name. But I put it in this chapter to make it up. I hope you liked the chapter, although the suspense are kind of ruined for you. Thanks for the review! **the muddy worm.** So I probably made you more anxious. My bad. Just remember, fast updates? Anyways, I apologize. Thanks for the review. **dead killer:** Yep. he had to chill out some time. Lol. Thanks for the reviews! **melissa.** Lol. Its fine. I love reviews whenever. IThough, out of curiosity, if you don't have an account, how do you check for reviews? have no idea on BD. I do think hes going to bite her, but I didn't think Bella would play it up that bad. She sounded anxious about it. If you were mad about last cliffy, I'm sorry about this one. I'll try and update really soon. As always, I love long reviews. Make my year. Length of story: I have no idea. I know what the climax will be, but the manga I'm basing it on is like 250 chapters or something. And i'm only on 24. So...I guess whenever it gets unoriginal or boring I'll wrap it up. Good luck with school!


	13. I came back to you

**I came back to you**

James paced. Pictures, words. They cycled through his head.

"I'm so sorry," Rose echoed her earlier words. She watched the storm that James had become go up and down the halls. "Just forget about her, James. It will make it easier."

James knew what would be happening to Lily right now; what must be happening. The students of Hogwarts were vicious at heart, evil. The roses abated that facet of their personality. They loved him for providing the game. They feared him for knowing where the game might one day lead. And now they would extract the punishment in blood for the injuries upon their leader. Lily would be injured. He tried to make himself not care as the words rolled through his mind.

He finally stopped pacing. He could not cease motion. His body trembled as he leaned against the wall.

Rose walked up to him, no hesitance in her step. She let her head rest against his side, not able to reach his shoulder. She intertwined her arm with his, stilling it. "You need someone who knows what you are, James Potter," she whispered into his side. "You deserve someone like you. She's not one of us."

James remembered that taunt. Poor little scholarship girl. He had heard it chanted over and over during the days of the wilted rose. He remembered Lily's dangerous smile, too. She took it, knowing that it meant nothing. He also remembered Lily calling him an ignorant prick. Money meant nothing to that girl.

"You deserve someone special," Rose finished. She moved her head to look him in the eyes.

James found himself staring back into her blue eyes. Frozen eyes. They were hard and cold. There was a look of yearning in them. James knew who the 'special someone' Rosemary was referring to was.

"She was cheating on you, James. I'm sorry."

_I need you to believe me._

James decided who he was going to believe. He took Rose's arms in his hands, gazing into her eyes…

And shoved with all the force he could muster.

"James!" Rose screamed. She slammed into the floor; her expression pure shock and dismay. "What are you doing James?"

James ignored her, walking away from her screams. He strode with a purpose in his step; his eyes as angry as they had been the last time he walked from a woman in silence.

* * *

Lily fell to her knees. One fist hit the ground, keeping her steady, upright. The curses, jinxes, and hexes had abated for the moment, leaving her with a brief respite. Blood flew freely from several wounds. Her body was covered in various sores. And still, they tormented her.

"Slut!"

"Mudblood!"

"Scholarship student!"

Lily ignored the petty insults. They weren't worth her time.

"So what did you get paid this time?" a male voice sneered. Lily knew this voice. She had listened to it tormenting her before. She forced her head up, ignoring the blood that was dripping into her eyes. The salty tang in her mouth forced her awake, heightened her attention.

"Thirty this time?" he asked.

Alex.

"No boy to save you this time," he scorned. He looked around at the faces surrounding him. The taunting faces, filled with bloodlust. The mob had forgotten its humanity. They didn't care what happened to Lily. They cheered him on.

Alex stepped forward, a smirk evident on his features.

Lily watched him walk, anger coursing through her. She thought of Sirius that day. Her protector, even if he didn't want to be. And James. Alex had appeared in the infirmary the next day; a broken arm. He had 'fallen.' Lily almost smiled as she remembered the story being whispered around her.

"No Marauder to stand up for you now," Alex whispered, directly above her.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Lily slowly raised herself. Anger disguised the pain the motion caused; it deafened it, made it obsolete. She looked him in the eye, glaring. Alex was mildly surprised that she could still stand.

"You made a mistake," she whispered. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The motion changed mid-gesture. Her hand balled into a fist. It connected squarely with his nose. He fell to the ground screaming, clutching at his broken nose.

Lily's legs finally gave out. She collapsed to the ground, landing on her butt this time. She looked over at the Alex and resisted the urge to laugh. "I don't need a guy to save me. Not from you." She wasn't sure whether Alex heard her, not over his shrieking. It gave her satisfaction to say it anyway.

It happened fast after that.

Alex's friends wanted revenge. The mob wanted its revenge. They wanted to see blood, and they wanted it to be Lily's.

The jinxes hit her from every direction. Some of them were the same, combining to be stronger then the original. Lily felt boils raising on her hands, her legs, her arms. Her hair flashed colors, an addition from an idiotic girl. She lost control of her hands. They were twitching in erratic patterns. One guy was brave enough to come forward and stomp on her fingers. She didn't cry out as she felt it break.

Then the magic stopped and they were back to name-calling. For the moment, their bloodlust had been abated. They wanted to drag this out. Lily only wasted a few precious seconds feeling the pain. She saw her wand by the pillar. She was only a few feet from it now. She summoned the courage to crawl towards it. Alex had been right. No Marauder to save her now. She would save herself.

"Who gave you permission to do this?" a voice growled. Like the mob, it had lost all traces of humanity. Lily felt the presence of someone behind her. It should have scared her. Instead, all she felt was joy.

"Who gave you permission to do this?" James repeated the question, not raising in volume. In the sudden silence, James didn't need to.

Alex had gotten to his feet by now. He stood in front of the group, a hand pressed to his nose. A mistake.

James stalked towards him. It was the only way to describe the way he moved. Lily noticed that Remus and Peter were flanking him. Of course, they would follow James to the end of the world. Why wouldn't they be here?

"First a broken arm, and now a broken nose," James taunted. His voice was merciless. "You think you would have learned."

Alex stared at him through a mask of stupidity. After a minute, he spoke: "Learned what?" stuttered Alex. "Sir," he tacked on hurriedly to the end of the sentence. His body was shaking with fear as he tried to appease the monster that stood in front of him.

James smiled, a slow grin that didn't spread to his eyes. His eyes were cold and frozen. He turned to face the crowd, ignoring Alex's question for the moment. He memorized their faces even as he asked a question. "Who was responsible for the worst damage?" The blood that was even now flowing down Lily's face as she crawled to her wand.

No one answered. James waited with a frightening stillness, Finally, one girl pointed a shaking finger at Alex. Several others soon followed. James doubted that Alex had been the one to do it. At this point, it didn't matter. He would get his revenge, make an example. No one would harm Lily again.

James turned back to Alex with a predatory look. Finally, he deigned to answer the question. "To ask permission." A look of confusion crossed Alex's face. James waited until it passed, until he knew Alex was connecting it to their last conversation.

James slammed him in the stomach. Once. Twice. When he fell, James picked him up. He hit him again. Three times. He let him stay on the ground this time. With cool deliberation, he stomped on his hand and twisted his foot. Blood squirted.

Alex wouldn't be standing up from this injury.

"Eye for an eye," Remus noted from behind him. Lily was bleeding. Lily had broken fingers. Now Alex did too.

James walked back to Lily, kneeling at her side. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, covering the tattered fragments that were left of her uniform. "Can you stand up?" he murmured into her ear.

Lily nodded. She was already on her hands and knees, gripping her wand tightly. She raised one foot. Her voice didn't betray the pain the motion caused but her face did.

James sighed. He stood back up and gently rolled Lily over. Then he placed one arm under her knees. The other went under her back, supporting her as he picked her up. Lily couldn't summon the energy to protest.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Lily Evans," he told her. His voice was soft; humanity was returning to his eyes.

Lily wanted to speak up, to tell him that he was wrong. If she didn't look after herself, no one would. She wanted to tell him to let her walk. She could do it by herself. She raised her head to speak…and finally succumbed to her injuries. Lily lost consciousness.

James watched her eyes close with mild trepidation. He needed to know how serious her injuries were. "I'm going to take her to the Hospital Wing," he announced for Remus and Peter's benefit.

Peter nodded once. "What do you want us to do?"

"Take names," said James. His voice was hard and cold again. Remus shuddered. He almost felt pity for the idiots that had been involved. Almost.

* * *

James gently deposited Lily on a hospital bed. "Madame Pomfrey," he called.

The healer turned from her task and gasped. She ran over immediately. "What happened to this poor girl?"

James shook his head at the question. "Nothing. Accident," he decided. He would extract his own payment. He didn't need the professors intervening. "Fix her," he commanded.

Pomfrey didn't like James giving her orders. "What jinxes were used in this 'accident?'" She allow the accusation to slip into her voice. A hint, nothing more. She wasn't stupid. She was expendable.

James shrugged. "I don't know. I can find out if its vital."

Pomfrey shook her head. She didn't like the tone his voice had taken. It didn't bode well for someone. At least she was convinced of his innocence. This hadn't been his fault, but he was ready to kill that person that had been responsible for it.

"Not necessary. I think I can figure them out just by looking." She pushed James outside the curtain, shushing his protests with her own.

James paced uneasily until Pomfrey called him back in. "She's going to be alright," she said. James allowed a brief smile to light his face. "But," Pomfrey warned, "I want to keep her overnight. I'm concerned about her mental well-being. This 'accident' could have caused her considerable shock. Also, I want to make sure that the boils disappear like they should." She held up Lily's hand to show the paste that she had covered them in. "Miss Evans is sleeping at the moment. It is highly likely that she will continue to sleep for twenty-four hours with this amount of blood loss. She might wake up for brief periods of time before lapsing back into sleep. If she is awake too long, I will give her a sleeping potion. She needs to sleep."

"Thank you," James said.

Pomfrey waited, obviously expecting something else. When James didn't move, she finally spoke. "Don't you have somewhere to be."

James shook his head. He sat down in a chair next to Lily's bed, making a very obvious point.

Pomfrey walked away in exasperation, shaking her head. "She's asleep," she muttered under her breath.

James pretended he didn't hear that. He owed Pomfrey for healing Lily. He raised his wand to summon a book he had been reading and some business papers. He settled himself in for a long wait.

No one would dare disturb him. Not even Remus and Peter. Not unless they wanted to risk his temper.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey was right. Lily woke up several times that day. Each time she did, James dropped his book and leaned towards her. It was unnecessary. For the first few times, Lily's eyes simply flickered open before she lapsed into sleep again. A few times she rolled over or mumbled something incomprehensible. James leaned back in his chair after he was satisfied that she was really asleep.

Pomfrey kicked James out promptly at nine. James left only long enough to go to the dormitory to snag his invisibility cloak.

An hour later he watched Pomfrey turn the key in the door, effectively locking Lily in. There was a charm set on her bed to alert the healer if medically something went wrong. James smiled in relief as she did so and took off the constricting cloak. He tucked it under Lily's bed and settled back into his chair. Still awake, he stared unrelentingly at her.

* * *

Lily rolled over in bed, pulling the sheet tighter around her.

"Lily," James whispered.

Lily jerked, about falling off the bed in the process. Her eyes shot open as she pulled the blanket up to cover her body. It was an unnecessary reflex. Madame Pomfrey had taken the liberty of changing her already. Her heart beat sped up as she remembered the last hazy moments before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Shh," James attempted to calm her down. He sat up on his chair, stretching his sore muscles. He finally managed to get in a semi-comfortable position and settled down to wait until Lily was more awake.

Lily allowed reviewed her memories as her heart rate decreased. "What happened?" she asked hesitantly. She remembered hitting Alex and not much else. And that boy had definitely deserved it.

"What do you remember?" James asked. Lily told him and James sighed. He relayed the events that had passed that morning.

"You came back," Lily realized happily. A smile played at her lips. She dropped her hand over the side of the bed, allowing it to dangle.

"Yeah," James agreed, mainly just to keep her talking. "It didn't look like you really needed me to, though," he laughed as he admitted it. "Alex's nose job was a masterpiece. Really suited him."

Lily had to laugh. "Who would you rather punch, given the chance? Alex or Daniel?"

James pretended to consider the question for the moment.

"Alex?" Lily asked.

James nodded. "Without a doubt." He chuckled quietly to himself.

"Did you seriously break his fingers?" Lily asked. An incredulous expression was on her face. She didn't even notice dropping the blanket. She was relaxing around him.

James nodded again. He leaned forward as if to tell her something confidential. "He screams like a girl."

Lily scrunched her shoulders and scowled. "That is an insult to girls everywhere."

"You're right," James replied with an easy smile. "I apologize."

Both of them were avoiding it; distracting themselves with meaningless subjects and pointless banter. James had come back. Did that mean that he believed her? Or simply forgiven her.

James fell back into his chair with a thud. They sat in silence for a few moments after that. Lily stared straight ahead at the boring hospital wing. A sea of white linen and curtains overwhelmed her. James stared at Lily. He saw phantom cuts and bruises that had been there when he brought her in. Her fingers bent at odd angles. She might have fought them off without him, but she wouldn't have been looking pretty by the end of it. He went over each injury in his mind, promising payback to the people that had dealt them.

James casually reached forward to take Lily's dangling hand. He intertwined the fingers with his own. "I came back," he echoed the words that she had spoken earlier, placing new depth behind them. "I came back to you."

Lily slowly turned her head to look him in the eyes. Her hair was messy around her face; a serene expression was still on her face. James couldn't read it. He didn't know what she was thinking. He pictured the way her face had looked that morning.

"I'm sorry," James tried again. Regret and apology filled his voice. "I should have believed you."

"You should have," Lily agreed. Her voice was neither forgiving nor angry. She was simply stating a fact.

Lily thought about what had happened that day. The pain. Mental. Physical. Watching James walk away and knowing that it was partly her fault. Hearing those words screamed at her again. Falling to the ground. Alex walking towards her.

It had been a long day and Lily was tired.

"How long have you been here?" Lily asked.

James pulled up Lily's hand, still intertwined with his, and checked the watch that she was wearing. "Its midnight now. So thirteen hours." He let their hands fall back down.

Lily felt a surge of unexpected happiness. James had waited for her again. "You have to be exhausted."

James didn't respond.

Lily gave him a look one would give a person standing outside in the middle of a tornado. One that said he was an idiot. "Go back to the dormitory. I'll be fine." She released his hand, as if to prove a point.

James shook his head before she could get even half of the sentence out of her mouth. "This is my fault. I'll stay." He crossed his arms and stared at her. He was prepared to sit there all night.

Lily was feeling cranky. She didn't have the patience to deal with someone being an idiot. "Go." A command this time.

James smiled at the fire in Lily's eye. She was feeling better if she could yell at him. All in all, it was a good thing. "No," he repeated.

Lily glared at him and James met her gaze with a mild one of his own. Finally, she sighed and scooted over in her bed. "C'mon," she gave in. James gave her a confused look. Lily gave him an exasperated one. "You aren't spending the night in a chair. I don't think your precious rich boy sensibilities could take it. And if you won't go back to the dormitory…?" Lily stopped to give him a hopeful look. James continued staring back at her. Lily continued: "Then we'll just have to share this bed. It's big enough." She stared ruefully around at the extravagant bed. It was far larger than the ones in the dormitories. She was fairly certain that it was larger than the ones at her house combined. Only the plain white sheets made it resemble a hospital bed.

James stared at her, not quite believing what she was saying. And then he grasped the insult she had mixed in. "My delicate rich boy sensibilities?"

"Have you ever spent the night in a chair?" Lily's tone was slightly patronizing.

"No," James admitted. "Its not like it can be more uncomfortable than a broom," he began to warm up to his argument, seeing some logic behind it.

Lily shook her head, not wanting to bother. She could feel a deep grogginess overcoming her. The potions Pomfrey must have administered to her were taking affect. "Shut up and lie down," Lily ordered.

James glared at her, quickly falling into the same pattern that countless other arguments had taken. Then he remembered exactly where they were. "If you weren't sick…"

Lily smiled. She used her new leverage to her advantage. She scooted over even further. James sighed and lay down next to her. He was on top of the blankets, she was underneath. "Where's my wand?" Lily asked suddenly.

James pointed to it on the nightstand next to her. "Why?" he asked, curious.

Lily took it and muttered a quick charm. "Alarm clock."

James gave her a blank look.

"It will tell you when to get up in the morning," Lily explained the Muggle term. "I don't want Pomfrey to find you in here. I would probably be expelled." She didn't mention that James Potter would never get expelled, no matter what he did. "I assume you have a way to leave undiscovered." Her voice got weaker as she talked; she was fighting to keep her eyelids up.

James nodded and then realized that Lily had closed her eyes. "Yeah," he whispered. He gazed at her face, once more seeing those phantom cuts. He reached out and ran a finger down her face, proving to himself that the cuts weren't there anymore. Lily was fine. He cupped her chin gently before drawing his hand back.

Lily was smiling in her sleep.

James waited until he was sure that Lily was truly in a deep sleep this time. He was about to close his own eyes when Lily rolled over…and right into him. He hesitated, knowing that she wouldn't want to be this close to him, but reluctant to risk waking her to move her. Finally, he decided.

James wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He fell asleep with his head on top of hers, holding Lily close.

* * *

AN. So I'm leaving on a school trip in a couple days. No electricty for two weeks. :( So I split this chapter up so I could post it before I leave. My little peace offering. I might manage to get the next part before I leave, but I'm not sure how much free time I will have. Although, I will be writing on the twenty hour bus ride, so all I have to do is type and post when I come back.

The next chapter will clear up James's revenge, Lily's revenge, and the mystery around Rose, in case anyone was curious. Oh, and the reason Chase wasn't there to save her was because a random guy had deverted him and asked him about chess. He is a bit cluessess, so he went off to help the guy before Lily returned to the Great Hall. Plot thing I couldn't find a place to include.

**maggrry poo:** I don't think I'm going to do the SC thing. But Sirius will come back soon. So he'll mention what happened. I loved the way you phrased your review 'perfect evil have imperfections of humanity'. Very poetic sounding. Thanks for the review! **starieknight:** Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review! **melissa:** Loved your review, as always. And there is nothing wrong with obsession. :) Sorry about the cliffy. This was a semi-quick update? I hope this chapter made it better. Rosemary's mystery will be revealed next chapter. And yeah, Crystal is always evil. But, you have to admit, in high school a lot of girls are like that. Thanks for the review! **ahoyhoy:** Yeah. Pathetically enough, it does at the moment. I'm suprsingly mean to my own gender. I'll add a nice girl in soon. As for the rest of your review, I kind of think this chapter answered it. He didn't really find out, he just chose to believe. Thanks for the review! **phia:** I'm sorry. I haven't watch the series recently enough to remember exactly who Li Zhen is. But I think you're right from what I do remember. And yeah, I never thought they would be really close. If you hang around someone long enough, you get to like them too much to actually do something that evil. I'm glad that you can still appreciate my story without the suspense. At least, you won't be mad at cliff hangers. Lol. Thanks for the review! marie: I hope this fulfilled the requirments of them together and James saving the day. :) Thanks for the review! **lifeinthesky:** Hope this fulfilled expectations. Thanks for the review!! **sarcastic hp lover **Have to say, yours was one of my favorite reviews this chapter. :) Your points had me laughing. Thanks for the great review! **sopleaza:** No problem. I hoped this chapter made last one better? Thanks for the review!! **LastToFirst:** Hope this fulfilled your expectations for the chapter Thanks for the review!! **anonymous:** Thanks. I hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!


	14. Explanations

AN: Warning and apology. My Beta is out of town. So I tried to proof read, but if grammar mistakes really annoy you, I highly recommend waiting until next week when I can run this through her. Sorry.

* * *

**Explanations **

Lily woke up alone with a smile on her face

Lily woke up alone with a smile on her face. It was the unconscious smile that comes through dreams; one that makes the dreamer blissful, inexplicably happy. She turned her head, expecting to find James still laying next to her.

"Are you feeling better, Miss Evans?" the inquisitive voice was brusque and business-like. Madame Pomfrey.

Lily pulled herself into a sitting position with minimal efforts. "Yes, thank you."

"Hold out your hands, please." They were cordial, unusually polite. Almost as if they were stepping around each other, afraid to cause offense. Lily had never had anyone act like that around her before. Not at Hogwarts.

She complied with the orders, holding her arms straight out. Madame Pomfrey took one, than the other, unwrapping the bandages and prodding at her fingers. When she finished, Lily dropped her hands in her lap. "Am I allowed to go?"

Pomfrey pressed her lips in a tight line, disapproval obvious on her face. "How do you feel?"

"Perfectly healthy," Lily assured her. "I have a class today as well. Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Pomfrey considered it, look Lily up and down with a calculating expression. Finally, after Lily's best smile, she nodded. "Be careful. If you begin to feel unwell come back here immediately. She looked prim as she turned sharply and walked into a backroom. Lily had the feeling that she had offended her, wanting to leave early.

Lily looked around for her clothes. The hospital gown, fancy as all Hogwarts related things tended to be, wasn't suited for walking around in. She pulled back the covers, noticing the indention for the first time.

The indention of James's head on the pillow.

So it hadn't really been a dream. He had effectively rescued her. He had chosen her. He had _believed_ her.

She didn't know if she could truly blame him for his reaction. She had seen the photo. The circumstantial evidence against her was overwhelming. In his place, Lily would have doubted herself.

And he had come back to her.

She should be angry at him. Intellectually, she knew that. He was responsible for this; the reason why she had woken up in a hospital wing. He hadn't believed her at first, when it could have prevented this. Anger had consumed him and Lily paid the price.

Intellectually, she should be angry at him.

That didn't stop the warm glow from spreading in her chest. He had believed her. That was enough to make her forgive him. It had to be.

Lily shook her head, clearing it of memories that would only confuse her now. She needed to find clothes. She had lied to Madame Pomfrey. She did have Defense Against the Dark Arts today…but not until after lunch. It was barely nine now. She didn't like hospitals. She had to get out of it.

Lily renewed her search for clothing. Her old uniform should be around here somewhere. She couldn't afford a new one, not at the price designer uniforms went for, but maybe she could fix her old one with a charm.

She found a uniform on the chair James had sat vigil yesterday.

It was brand new, that much was obvious. He must have fetched it through floo powder or something this morning. It was much nicer than her last one, remarkably so. Lily traced the sleeves with one finger. The only indication that it hadn't magically appeared was a single piece of parchment near the collar

_JP_

His initials, nothing more. Lily told herself that she was being ridiculous, two letters shouldn't make her this happy. She quickly disrobed, after checking that no one else was in the room, and put on the new uniform. It fit almost perfectly.

She walked out of the hospital wing with a smile on her face: it felt good to leave.

* * *

The corridors were oddly deserted. The younger people would be in class, true. But it was odd it to be this empty. A panicked thought occurred to Lily; a leftover memory from yesterday.

_Take names_

James's voice. James's hard, cold voice. Lily desperately began to run towards the courtyard.

* * *

James waved his wand, casting the charm. He turned to face Peter and Remus. "Are you sure you have everyone?" It was a cool, calculating question. James could have been speaking about money or books.

Remus silently counted again before nodding his head. "Positive." He leaned against the pillar behind him, crossing his arms.

James nodded his head and looked back at his prey. The names. The people on the roof.

Their hands and feet were tied with invisible. James had dropped them on a relatively flat roof that was in open view. He wanted to make an example of them, as well as get revenge. No one would ever hurt Lily again.

As James watched, one girl squirmed enough to send herself off her precarious perch. James let her approach the ground before rescuing her again. _Wingardium Leviosa_, he mused._ Such a simple spell with such…entertaining results._

The other people, the onlookers, gossiped among themselves. They didn't dare interrupt, not unless they wanted to join those on the roof. Most were incredibly happy that they hadn't been there when the letters arrived. James's tactic had been successful. No one wanted to risk his wrath.

James stepped away from his friends, walking into the open so that the people on the roof could see him. "Obviously, some of you feel that you can do what you please." He spoke as if he were conducting a lesson. James Potter: Professor.

Alex clenched his jaw when James said this. The silencing charm prevented him from saying anything. Not that he would. He couldn't afford to enrage James Potter any further. Others had suffered a wilted rose for far less. He was shocked that James hadn't given him one yet. His fingers served as a reminder for that. They were fixed, thanks to Madame Pomfrey. Alex had sent in a friend to fetch her, not wanting to risk James seeing him again. He wondered what injuries he would bear after this day.

"So," James continued, "it is my duty to reinforce the lesson I thought all of you would have learned a long time ago." He paced as he spoke. His gaze swept over those on the roof, pausing slightly when he saw Alex. He continued to meet the gazes of those in the audience. He needed to teach everyone. This was a lesson that Hogwarts' pupils couldn't afford to forget.

"The Marauders rule."

The statement rang in the silence after he said it. He had raised his voice, making it cut-throat. His meaning was clear. _Do not cross us!_

James raised his head to glare at his prey. They quivered.

"Myself. Sirius. Remus. Peter. We provide the game. You will abide by the rules. Taunt those we give you. Above all, you will _not_ touch us and ours."

_Leave Lily Evans alone. _He didn't say it. He didn't need to. They knew why he was harming them. They wouldn't do it again. His rule was absolute once more. He saw it in the way everyone was standing. Their bodies' betrayed their feeling. They stood submissively, quivering in their shoes.

A grim smiled crossed his face as he gripped his wand. He turned to face Peter and Remus. "Did I forget anything?" James changed his tone to a friendly, everyday one. Effortlessly switching between roles.

Remus shook his head and Peter smiled. "I think you terrified them sufficiently," said Peter.

"What are you doing!" a voice shrieked behind James, piercing the silence. The voice sounded shocked and disapproving.

James waved his wand. They floated off the roof, coming to a halt in mid-air. He turned to face Lily with a smile on his face, one hand still controlling the charm. "Which one do you hate the most?"

Lily was too distracted by the events surrounding them to chide James on such an obvious question.

"Which one do you hate the most?" James repeated the question patiently. The grin didn't quite reach his eyes. No one would ever hurt Lily again. "Tell me and I'll drop him."

Even Peter looked startled at this comment, taking a step forward as James spoke.

Lily let her mouth drop open. "That could kill him!" Even with her temper, she would never take it _this_ far.

James shrugged his shoulders, his attention wavering for a second. The people dropped a few inches before coming to an abrupt stop.

"James!" Lily shouted.

"Alex, right?" James asked. "Or what about the person that gave you the boils?" He looked inquisitive, as if he thought he would really get an answer.

Lily looked at the people floating over her head. They bore expression varying from dread to horror, right back to dread. Alex, particularly, looked like he had just seen a bogart. "Put them down," she demanded. James nodded and began to lower his wand. The people immediately began to plunge like stones. "Carefully!" Lily interjected quickly. She hated these people, passionately, but she didn't want them to die.

James sighed and _carefully _dropped them onto the pavement. He waved his wand again, releasing them of their bonds. As a group, they stumbled to their feet and ran away from the man that had almost killed them. The audience followed soon after with no show to watch.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"They deserved it," James answered her serenely.

Lily looked like she wanted to murder him. "They deserved to die?"

"A drop like that wouldn't have killed anyone," James told her. "They shouldn't have harmed you or disobeyed us. This was their punishment."

"Injuring them?"

"No one was injured," James pointed out. "Just scared."

Lily decided to give up arguing with him. She obviously wasn't making a difference in James's outlook. Besides, after breaking Alex's nose, it wasn't like she could lecture him. Instead, she simply sat there and stared at him.

"Are you feeling better?" James asked after a few minutes had passed.

Lily nodded her head in reply.

James cocked his head slightly, really looking at her expression for the first time.

"What would you have me do, Lily? Sent them all wilted roses? Or maybe let them get away with no punishment at all?" He seemed almost angry now. "Then they would have felt free to begin this cycle all over again. The would hurt you because they wouldn't think there would be consequences."

Lily rapidly shook her head as he spoke. "I can look after myself. I don't need you to."

"I know you too well for that," James told her, walking closer. "You fight back when someone pisses you off. You fight well," he conceded the point. "But you don't think about the next fight. You don't consider the possibility that he'll come back with more people, enough people to overwhelm you. You don't obliterate him before he attacks you. You aren't vicious enough, Lily."

But I am."

Alex would have attacked you if I hadn't threatened him again, shown him that I was willing to go to such lengths in revenge. He felt that his 'honor' had been insulted. You broke his nose, Lils. A little girl broke his nose. He would have come after you again with more of his friends and he would have been careful to do it in a isolated are."

You might have been forced to do something to him that would have scarred you forever. I wanted to spare you the pain. It quite obviously doesn't scar me to do the same things." James smiled at his last sentence, lightening the mood his speech had cast.

Lily continued to stare at James. He was a mere foot from her now. Her anger had been abated by his explanation. Now, she was simply dumbfounded by the amount of thought he had put into this.

"Of course," Remus drawled, coming up to sling his arm around James's shoulder, "revenge is also damn fun."

James laughed and inclined his head. "So do you feel better?" he asked again.

"Ye-yeah," Lily stuttered. "I feel fine. Hungry, but fine." She still didn't have a full grip on her emotions; she didn't know what she would do if she had to hold a conversation.

"I think everyone could benefit from breakfast," said Peter. He walked off towards the Great Hall, not even waiting for them to answer.

James took Lily's hand, almost out of habit, and pulled her along with him. A slight smile played at Lily's lips. This was how it had been Saturday, before Crystal. The smile widened as thinking of Crystal led her into another train of thought. Remus had been right. Revenge can be _damn_ fun.

xXx

Lily stayed with James for the most part that day. Chase eventually caught up, his usually oblivious self. He apologized over and over again. He insisted that he had tried to see her in the hospital wing, but Remus and Peter had told them it would be better if she didn't have visitors. Chase also apologized for not being there when it happened. He blamed himself.

Lily, her normally blunt self, told him that he was an idiot.

Chase mellowed out after that, saying sorry only once an hour. James got fed up enough to hit him when he tried to say it more.

James wouldn't allow himself to be separated from Lily. He was trying to make up for the time he wasn't there; for the time he had walked away. James kept saying sorry, too. No aloud, but he said it with his actions. By the way he would casually touch her. The way he would concede a point, for the first time he and Lily didn't get into any more fights that day. He was still his arrogant self, but for her, he was mellowing, changing.

xXx

Lily wandered aimlessly through the corridors. James was occupied with Quidditch; Remus and Peter with girls, or pranks. Lily hadn't really been paying attention. Instead, she had jumped at the chance to spend time without any guys around. The Marauders had…overwhelming personalities. Lily wasn't really sure she wanted Peter and Remus playing bodyguard for the afternoon.

Lily heard the scuff of a trainer and turned around. "Hey, Rosemary," she greeted casually. She turned around and continued walking.

"Rose," Rosemary insisted.

Lily shrugged, remembering that Rose had asked her to call her that before.

"So, I heard you and James made up," commented Rose casually.

Lily was surprised at the acid in Rose's voice. She almost sounded like the fact made her angry. "Yeah," she answered cautiously. "He apologized."

"He did what!?" Rose shrieked. There was no way Lily could miss the rage in Rose's voice now. It was written clearly on her face. Rose managed to regain control over herself with some obvious effort. "I mean, he apologized. What for?"

Lily slipped her hand inside her robe, fingering her wand. "For thinking those pictures Crystal sent were true." They had stopped walking by now.

"Who's Crystal?" Curious now.

"Spoiled Hufflepuff. I figured she sent the letters. She has a puppy crush on James, so she thinks that if she can get him pissed at me, he'll fall in love with her. It didn't work last time. I didn't get why she would resort to the same trick again." Lily shrugged her shoulders, like it was no big deal. Like she was blowing the whole thing off as a stupid prank.

Rose's grin became more fake, more plastered on. "I heard about that time. I don't think this is exactly the same though. Those pictures were much more damning. You were cheating on James, not just talking with some guy." Rose was letting more and more slip. "Plus, she obviously knows that James will have to marry someone on the same social plane."

"I don't think James knows that," Lily told her, concentrating on the last thing Rose said.

Rose shook her head as soon as Lily finished speaking. "It doesn't matter. I've met James's mother. There is no way James will be allowed to marry a commoner or Muggle Born. He has to carry on the family bloodline."

"Either way," Lily couldn't stop herself from speaking. Her temper was flaring up again. "James wouldn't suddenly decided to date Crystal. Why are you even defending herself. That girl was scum."

Rose's face went livid. Her face reddened, contrasting horribly with her blond hair. "She was right, that's why. James deserves someone better than you. He deserves someone beautiful. Stunning. A rich girl who will fit into society as his wife." She pulled out her wand before Lily could react, holding it level at Lily's throat.

James was right. Lily wasn't vicious enough to attack someone before they attacked her, even if it was obvious they were going to.

Lily stared daggers at Rose. She gripped her wand, still confined to her robes, tighter and wished she had drawn it earlier. "It was you," she realized slowly. "You sent the pictures."

Rose laughed, a laugh devoid of any joy. She was mocking Lily. "Of course."

Lily was still stuck in her epiphany. "You were never shy around guys. You just wanted to get closer to James."

"And the Marauders," Rose added. "I couldn't figure out why they were so drawn to an ugly commoner like you, but I used it to my advantage. You didn't have any female friends. I figured you would jump at the chance to be friends with me." She waved her wand, causing red sparks to fly out of it. They stung Lily's throat, leaving slight burn marks.

"Rosemary," Lily said soothingly.

"Rose!" Rose shouted. She waved her wand again; it was dangerously close to Lily's throat.

"Why Rose?" Lily tried to distract her. "I mean, it's a beautiful name, but you introduced yourself as Rosemary to the Marauders." Anything to keep Rose talking, to divert her attention from her wand. If Lily could just knock the wand away so she could free her own.

"Because, the last time I saw them I was Rosemary," Rose explained. Her voice was becoming lower and more gentle as she explained.

"When did you meet them?" Lily asked. Rose was monologue-ing now. That was good.

"I was six," Rose began her story. "James's family was holding a ball. It was ridiculous, really. But I was dressed up in what I thought was the most gorgeous dress in all time. It was pink with ruffles. My parents took special care to leave me with the rest of the children. They wanted me to form a relationship with them. It was a marriage opportunity to the richest wizards in the country."

"I walked up to the four, because of course the Marauders existed, even back then. I remember that I was still floating high on my father's compliments. He had called me his angel, his beautiful angel. And I really thought I was. I introduced myself and held out my hand, the biggest smile on my face."

"And James just laughed. He pointed at my face and laughed. 'What's the that thing on your face,' he insulted me. 'Your name's all wrong for you. Roses are pretty. I'm going to call you slime-face.'"

Lily gasped. The sad part was, she could truly imagine James doing that as a child.

Rose seemed pleased at Lily's reaction. "The other kids took up the chant. 'Slime-face. Slime-face.' I covered my face and cried. I made my parents go home early that night. I never told them why. They were embarrassed and yelled at me. And then," Rose smirked, "five years later they died. I spent my inheritance on numerous surgeries and charms to remove my birthmark. I changed everything about my face."

Rose used her free hand to point at her face. She had lost her sanity a long time ago. The story had transformed it into the face of a madwoman, trapped in the past. "What do you think, Lily? Am I as pretty as a Rose now?"

Lily nodded her head frantically as the wand prodded her neck.

"After I recovered, I asked around. I found out James Potter attended Hogwarts. So, I came here too. I was planning to date him and then dump him. Embarrass him the same way he embarrassed me."

"I wanted revenge. I had been planning it for ten years. But when I saw James, I realized that revenge wasn't I craved. Not really. When I saw him, I was six years old again, holding at my hand. James hasn't changed a bit, you know. I was still in love with that James, the James that had insulted me. I was attracted to his cruelty, because it was intriguing. James was just like me. So, I altered my plan. I would marry him, like my parents wanted. After all, why wouldn't he want me now. I made myself as pretty as a Rose for him."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "But then I heard that James was dating someone. An ugly Mudblood. He must have been trapped into it, I decided. There was no way he would willingly date someone like that. He prized beauty and now I am the symbol of it. So I decided to free him from you. Give him a legitimate reason to break up with you."

She finally lowered her wand, swept up in her blend of memories and fantasies. Lily didn't waste the opportunity. She pulled her wand out of her robe with an unnatural swiftness for someone who had recently been in the hospital.

"_Expelliarmus!" _

The charm caused Rose's wand to fly down the corridor. Rose herself was thrown against the wall behind her. It didn't phase her. She didn't even act like she noticed.

"And then, James went back to you anyway. After he thought you cheated on him. After I went through all that trouble to take those pictures. He went back to you. And I made myself a Rose for him!" Tears were streaming down her face as she screamed the last eight words.

Lily found it hard to be mad at someone who was crying uncontrollably. She managed to get over it. "Look, Rose, I'm sorry that James insulted you when you were younger. It was cruel, superficial, and petty. But you aren't the same person you were back then. And neither is James. You had _no_ right to come here and screw up my life for a childhood insult."

Rose was still sobbing. She picked herself up off the floor. "James deserves someone prettier than you. We were made for each other."

Lily shook her head sadly. "James isn't like that. Not anymore. He's changed."

"You're a liar!"

Rose came towards Lily, a screaming, clawing mess.

Lily felt no regrets about the stunner she used to drop Rose to the floor. Neither did she cringe when Rose landed on her arms, breaking her fingernails and maybe a few bones.

Lily left Rose there, lying alone on the floor. She would tell the first professor she wandered across. But for now, she didn't trust herself to take Rose to the hospital. She would inevitably end up giving Rose a few additional injuries. Rose had screwed up her life far worse than Crystal had ever managed. And she did it over a childhood injury. Every time she thought about it, it only further enraged her. Lily was almost shaking with fury by the time she reached the dormitory.

* * *

James found Lily there, sitting in a loveseat, staring pensively into the fire. He dropped his broom onto the floor and sat down next to her. Lily didn't respond.

"What's wrong?" James finally asked.

"How do you attract such messed-up people?" Lily asked.

James looked startled. "What?"

"Alex, Crystal, Rose," Lily ticked them off on her fingers.

"Crystal, I'll give you, but Alex went after you. And who's Rose?"

"Rosemary."

_Ah _James realized. Then it occurred to him that Lily couldn't have known what Rose had said to him. "What about Rosemar-Rose?"

Lily turned to face him, crossing her legs under her. "Alex went after me because you 'hired' him," she contradicted his denial. James cringed at the reminder.

Lily told him what happened. It was almost comical watching James become more and more enraged. Lily imagined that was what she must have looked like walking back to the dormitory.

"All you did was stun her?" James asked, amazed. He wouldn't have though Lily's temper would allow her to do so little. His certainly wouldn't.

"She really thinks she's in love with you," Lily said; her voice took on a sad note.

"So she screwed with you," James said. His voice contrasted her with its coldness; it promised revenged. "I guess I wasn't as clear as I should have been this morning. She won't do it again, Lils. I promise."

"You don't get it, James," Lily raised her voice, causing the other Gryffindors to look up at her. She blushed and lowered it immediately, still speaking intensely. "You were her life for ten years, her entire life. One comment from you destroyed her."

James shrugged his shoulders. "So?"

Lily stared at him, her mouth open. She couldn't believe he was being so callous. The old James, certainly. But she had told Rose he had changed. She thought it was true.

"Lily, you don't seem to understand how powerful my family is. One word from me will make a company. Or condemn it. One word from me will save a person, or," he smiled slightly, ironically, "destroy her. I've been around people like Rose my entire life. And a fair few of them blame me. So they fight _me_. Me, Lily. They don't get to come after you. That crosses the line. I won't let you be hurt again because I insulted someone. I'll take care of Rose and anyone else who tries." James looked at Lily earnestly, making a silent promise. One that would bind him. He meant it.

Lily shook her head. "This is my battle, James. Rose came after me. I'll take care of it." She smiled grimly. "Besides, I think another harsh word from you might kill her."

James thought of yesterday, how he had shoved Rose to the ground. _I doubt it. _Instead of answering Lily truthfully and forcing her to relive the past, he just nodded. _But _he promised himself _if Rose does hurt Lily again, I'll make sure there won't be a third time. _

Lily stood up and pulled James's hand.

James, about twice her weight, didn't budge. "Where are we going?"

"Dinner. You must be hungry after practice."

James wondered if Lily had a habit of eating when she was upset. Then he stared at her lithe frame and decided against it. More likely she was trying to distract him. He allowed himself to be pulled.

"You are heavy," Lily complained.

James smiled and got to his feet. "No," he corrected, "you're short." He rested his elbow on her head to prove his point.

Lily ducked out from under him and frowned. "I am perfectly average. You're just a freak."

"A freak?" No one other than Lily actually dared to insult James like that, even in jest.

Lily solemnly nodded her head.

James growled and knocked Lily's feet out from under her. He caught her easily before she hit the ground. The people around them laughed and smiled. James carried her out the portrait hole to her numerous protests. "Am I still a freak?"

"No," Lily answered through a laugh.

James smiled and set her down on her feet. Lily ran a foot away from him and stuck out her tongue. "Freak."

James laughed again and Lily smiled. She didn't want James reacting the way he had that morning. He had been cold and detached as he floated the people in the air. Lily didn't want to see him like that again. Now matter what James had said, Lily could take care of herself. She didn't need James fighting her battles.

James caught up to her and grabbed her hand. "Midget."

Lily just continued smiling as they walked through the corridor, not bothering to answering. She wound her fingers through his as they walked.

* * *

Lily asked around and eventually learned Rose was outside. Lily found her in the shade of a tree. She sat down next to her and waited for Rose to speak first.

"You were right," Rose broke the silence.

Lily stopped playing with the grass and looked at Rose.

"I saw you with him, in the corridor by your dormitory. James has changed."

Lily nodded her head. This wasn't what she had been expecting. Her scenario was actually more along the lines of Rose insulting her again and Lily slamming her in the face.

"He never allowed anyone to treat him that way when I knew him. Never. But you, he teased back."

"Does this mean I don't have to kill you?" Lily asked with a teasing smile.

Rose continued staring at the lake. "I means," she said finally, "that you sprained my wrist and I want to be friends. For real friends."

"Friends?" Lily asked, echoing back Rose's words.

"James found a good girlfriend in you, Lily. You could have kicked me or cursed me after what I did to you. The professors couldn't have blamed you. But you didn't."

Lily never thought the restraint of her temper would change Rose. In fact, she had come down her to kick and curse her. She just didn't want to do it to someone who was already stunned. Where was the fun in that?

"I haven't given up on James," Rose warned her. "When he comes to his senses and realizes he wants a gorgeous, rich witch, I'll still be here. But until then, he's yours."

It occurred to Lily that this was probably the best she was going to get. "Start over, then?" She stuck out her hand and grinned. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Lily Evans."

"That girl that finally captured James," Rose repeated some of her first words to Lily. "I'm Rose Wales."

* * *

Lily relaxed in the peace the new week brought. The other girls were avoiding her for now. Paige and them. Lily knew they had been among her tormentors. They probably didn't want to remind James they existed.

Rose joined Chase as one of her friends. It turned out Rose was actually pretty entertaining when she wasn't pretending. Vicious sometimes, but entertaining. Eventually, Chase even managed to pretend he liked her, after he stopped berating Lily for being an idiot for still hanging out with Rose.

James, however, failed miserably. He kept finding excuses to leave whenever Rose walked up. Lily had already extracted a promise that he be nice to her. James wasn't too sure that he could resist the urge to punch her if he hung around her for extended periods of time. Instead, he avoided her, speaking in monosyllables whenever she was around.

Finally, Lily took to hanging out with Rose whenever James occupied with quidditch or family business. She was missing Candice. It felt nice to have a girl to speak to.

It was a comfortable silence.

* * *

**AN: **So I had an amazing time on my trip. Thanks for all the well wishes. And double thanks for the overwhelming amount of reviews I recieved last chapter. I was flabbergasted in a good way. So thanks!

Bad news now: I got a huge paper due now. Huge like, I've already worked on it for 2 and 1/2 hours and I'm not even to the body of the paper yet. So I'm not sure when I'll have time to type the next chapter. I'll try to do it soon, though. I swear.

**The muddy worm:** I'm sorry. I really tried to finish the next chapter before I left. But I was about 1k short, word wise. Thanks for the review though. I hope this chapter made up for the delay! **Sarcastic hp lover:** Lily's not as quite hot tempered as she should be. She's horrible at holding grudges. Like James said. But yeah, Roes deserved being shoved. I think we were all cheering James on there. Lol. Thanks for the review! **Lifeinthesky:** Thanks for the well wishes! And thanks for the review! **Melissa:** Yep, saw and loved the twilight clip. Kind of made me fall in love with Edward actor, finally. James was perfect! Although the excuse was weak. "You're here first because you're faster than the others." They stole a freaking car and drove there. Sorry, sore point. On actual story thing. Rose was revealed. I hope you liked her back story. Thanks for the reviews!! **Ahoyhoy:** Yeah, me too. I thought it would be sweet, James loves her enough to trust her. And thanks for the well wishes. No electricity wasn't as bad as it sounds. Got to use a guy as a space heater. Lol. Thanks for the reviews!! **LastToFirst:** Sorry, I tried to post it before I left. I was about 1k words short. Thanks for the compliments and review! **Louise:** Aw thanks. Hope you liked the update and it made up for the delay. Thanks for the review! **B:** I hope you liked the revenge on Rose. Although it wasn't really revenge. Lol. Thanks for the review! **Sopleaza:** Thanks. I hope the update made up for the delay. Thanks for the review!


	15. The Return

**The Return**

Lily was sitting with her back against the wall, a book in hand. She idly flipped through the pages, not really concentrating. Instead, she was remembering the time she had spent with James that day. The feel of his arms around her waist; her hand intertwined with his. And then she heard his voice.

"Lily Evans," he drawled.

Lily dropped her book. It hit the stone floor with a heavy _thunk_. Her eyes drifted up to examine his face. His long black hair now brushing his shoulders. His eyes laughing at her surprise and expression.

He crouched down in front of her and cocked his head. "You aren't happy to see me?"

Lily shook her head once to clear it of the confusion. That was all that was left. Seeing him had made her previous thoughts vanish. "Sirius, you're back."

"Yeah," Sirius answered. "Either that, or you're seeing things."

Lily didn't like the almost-mocking tone his voice had acquired. It didn't suit him. Not the Sirius who never took an interest in anything. Not the Sirius who had saved her. Who had loved Candice, had gone after her. She slowly picked up her book and stood up. Sirius stood up also. They started to walk down the hall together, towards the dormitory.

"Have you told the others yet?" Lily asked.

"No," Sirius shook his head. "I wanted them to be surprised."

Lily smiled grimly to herself. Yeah, they would be. "So what happened?" she inquired blatantly. "I mean, you went after Candice, right?" She hated herself for the pang of longing that went through her voice. She had gotten over him. She had gotten James.

Sirius was shaking his head this time before she had time to complete her sentence. "I don't want to talk about it." He turned his head from her as he spoke, hiding his expressions.

Lily walked next to him in silence for a few moments, letting the words roll through her mind. They almost seemed to echo in the silence, leaving questions in their wake. What had happened in Russia. What had made Sirius suddenly return. And…was Candice still in the picture?

"So how has school been going?" Sirius finally broke the silence.

Lily let the past events fill her mind for a second. Fin's fake rape. Rose's betrayal and surprising friendship. And James. What did she say about James. "You know what," Lily said, spotting Remus turning a corner, "I'll fill you in later."

Sirius turned to answer, and then spotted the Marauders for himself.

"Padfoot!?" Peter practically screamed.

"Sirius Black," Remus said slowly with a hint of teasing in his voice. They walked up to Sirius and stopped.

Sirius turned to face James, wanting to know how he would react. Remembering the way they had left things. "Welcome back," James said simply. He continued walking, past Sirius, to Lily. He wrapped one arm around her waist. "Lily and I are dating now," he said pointedly.

Sirius let a smile fill his face, masking any other emotion. "That's great. I'm really happy for you two. You make an adorable couple."

James let himself believe what Sirius was saying. He left himself get his best friend back. "So what happened with you and Candice, anyway?"

Sirius started walking again, forcing the rest of them to walk with him. "Russia was boring," he finally said, avoiding the question altogether. "I couldn't understand anyone. Besides, I hated the wizarding school there. My family made a hefty 'donation' and Dumbledore said I could transfer back here."

"Whatever," Remus neatly closed the subject. "It's great to have you back for any reason. The teachers were starting to actually finish classes without being interrupted."

Sirius smiled. "I don't believe you."

"Nah," Remus answered jokingly, "but they were starting to look slightly rested."

* * *

Lily found Sirius sitting under a tree…their tree…the next day. It was the first time they had been alone together since that few minutes when he had first arrived. "Hey," she said softly, sitting down next to him.

"Where's James?" Sirius asked, still staring forwards.

"Doing some paperwork for some company," Lily shrugged off the question.

Sirius finally turned his head to look at her. "You guys are dating now? For how long?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders and fidgeted, brushing the hair out her eyes. "Two weeks or so," she answered, counting down from the day that James had saved her from that mob.

"You serious about him?"

Lily didn't know how to answer the question that Sirius asked so intently. "Maybe," she answered. "Why?" Suddenly she was hostile; defending herself; wondering what he meant; did he ask as a friend of James or…?

Sirius raised his hands in defense. "Just a question." He stared off into space again, leaving Lily to sit in silence.

"James was really glad to have you back," she offered.

"Really?" A half-smile played at Sirius's lips. "I think this is the longest he's ever managed to stay angry at me. Normally he has too short of an attention span to stay mad. I must have really pissed him off this time."

Lily remembered James throwing the photograph at her. It played over and over in her mind as Sirius spoke. "Yeah," she murmured, half-distracted.

"He's always had a temper, though," Sirius laughed, continuing. "I remember one time he had a teacher fired just for telling James that he was mispronouncing a word."

Lily laughed weakly along with Sirius.

Abruptly, Sirius stopped laughing. He turned to face Lily, an intense expression dominating his face. "Lily, if you ever get sick of him and his temper. Or if you ever just want to have a fling without telling him…" he trailed off suggestively.

Lily just sat, stunned; her mouth fell open as she contemplated what he was suggesting.

Suddenly Sirius burst out laughing again. He used one hand to push himself off the ground and walked away, still chuckling. Lily was left by herself, stunned and confused. What had happened to her Sirius in Russia?

* * *

"Lily," James shouted from half-way down the corridor. Lily cringed slightly as everyone stopped to stare, either at her or James. He bounded up to her and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Hey, James," she greeted him softly. An unconscious smile tugged at her lips.

They walked down the corridor together, weaving in and out of bodies surrounding them. Finally James tugged her into an empty classroom. "What's wrong?" Lily asked, slightly concerned. Her thoughts flickered to the memory of Sirius's face inches from her own. _'Or if you ever just want to have a fling without telling him…'_

"We're going away this weekend," James announced, a pleased smile dominating his face. He looked like he had just given her the world's best gift.

"When was this decided?" Lily asked, still deciding what her reaction was going to be. She played with a piece of her hair, just to give her other hand something to do. This wasn't normal in her life. People just didn't randomly decided they were taking vacations.

"Remus wanted to play volleyball," James said it like it explained everything. Lily laughed slightly. "We're going to one of my islands in the Atlantic Ocean."

_One of my islands…_Lily sputtered. He said it casually. "Do I get a say in the matter?"

James's smile began to droop. "What? You don't want to go?"

Lily shook her head. James didn't even understand why she might be mad that he had just decided. She sighed and put on a smile. "I would love to go, James."

"Good," James said. He leaned closer so that he could kiss her.

* * *

"You're packing?" Paige asked.

Lily threw in the last of her shirts and shut the lid of the trunk with a bang. The clothes she had weren't exactly 'island' clothes, but they were the best she had. James would just have to deal with it. "Yeah," she answered, more just to have something to say.

"Where are you going?" Grace asked, trying to draw the information out of Lily.

"Umm…some island," Lily answered, distracted by the fact she couldn't locate her quill. She finally unearthed it under a thick book that hadn't been moved for a while. She scribbled a note to her parents, telling them that she was leaving, and placed a nifty charm on it that Chase had taught her. It zoomed out of the room. From past experience she knew it would go to the Owlery of its own accord and attach itself to an owl. With that taken care of, she turned back to her trunk.

"You have an island?" Paige asked, shock evident in her voice.

"No," Lily laughed, finally turning to address them. "James is taking us. Us being me and the other Marauders," she added unnecessarily.

"I'm so jealous," Grace squealed. "The Marauders," she sighed.

Lily got bored of the conversation, not wanting to hear how lucky she was to be dating James Potter again. She tapped her trunk to make it light enough to get down the stairs. "See you guys in a week or so," she called over her shoulder. They ignored her, too busy squealing something about Sirius. Lily sighed and pulled her trunk down the stairs. James took it from her as soon as she reached the bottom.

"Ready?" he asked.

"You don't seem excited," Lily commented. She had a big, goofy grin on her face. The fact that she was going to stay on an island was finally beginning to sink in.

James frowned before plastering a huge smile on his face. "Better?"

Lily nodded, content. "How are we getting there?"

"Floo powder," Remus answered, coming up behind her. He nodded towards the Gryffindor fireplace.

"Flashy," Lily commented.

"But effective," Remus replied. He turned to her trunk. "That's all you're taking?"

Lily nodded.

Remus shook his head, sadly. "I guess we can buy you some more clothes if necessary."

Lily debated about arguing with him, before realizing that _everyone_ was staring at them. "Can we leave now?" she squeaked.

"Still waiting on people," James reminded her.

Lily looked around and sighed. She started tapping her finger against the side of her leg. James caught her hand and intertwined their fingers, effectively stilling that mode of entertainment. Lily turned to face James instead. "Finally," she said, looking over his shoulder.

Peter and Sirius were walking up behind him. Sirius raised one hand in greeting, his mouth twisting upward in a small smile. Lily began to rise her hand, taking James's with her, before she realized that Sirius wasn't greeting her. "Hey, girl," Peter greeted.

Lily turned around to see a few fifth years walking up behind her. They were all tall, leggy, and blond. They giggled in response to Peter's greeting. Lily hated them already.

"Lils, this is…" James began to introduce her. He stopped, realizing he didn't know their names. He turned to face Peter. "What are these idiots' names?" he asked, with his usual sense of tact.

The girls giggled again. _James Potter _was asking their names.

"Kelsey, Scarlet, and Izzy," Surprisingly, it was Sirius who answered. James's face registered a slight expression of shock. Sirius had always cared less about the random girls than he had. Sirius turned to take Scarlet's hand. "Shall we?" He leaned forward to whisper the name of the island in her ear. He helped her into the fire, dropping a handful of the powder. She giggled the name out and they disappeared. Lily uncharitably wished that they would come out at the wrong fireplace.

"Ready, Lily?" James whispered in her ear.

Lily tried to shove down her feelings and smiled. "Let's go."

James stepped into the fire first, leaving Lily to follow him. She was slightly disappointed to see Scarlet when she stepped out of the fireplace. However, her delight at the room soon overcame the feeling. "You live here?" she asked James, incredulous. She looked around at the ornate room. The ceiling was well over ten foot high. Each piece of furniture looked like it cost more than her entire house.

James laughed at her, wrapping an arm casually around her waist. "No, silly." This is one of my summer homes."

"Where are your other ones?" Izzy asked, brushing the soot off of her dress.

James though for a moment before answering her. "Umm…, another in the Atlantic, one in Hawaii, of course. Then three in the eastern part of the world." Izzy giggled again and James frowned at her. When she didn't stop he added a glare. Izzy quickly moved herself closer to Remus.

"You guys want to show the girls their rooms?" James asked. The other Marauders nodded, using their wands to pick up the baggage strewn across the floor. James picked up Lily's in the Muggle fashion, using only his arm strength. Though, Lily noted, she had less than a quarter of the luggage the other girls had. She trailed after James in amazement, looking in each of the rooms as she passed. They were each decorated with a theme. Lily's favorite had been the book-themed one. Books lined the wall in built-in bookcases.

"This is our room," James said, dropping her bag just inside the door. Lily stopped and stared at him. James didn't notice until he head reached the window. "Lily?" he asked.

"Our room?" Lily managed to squeak out. She didn't now what James was expecting from her. Maybe other girls were so impressed by this house that they would automatically…

"I'll sleep on the couch," James said, interrupting her train of thought. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts. He walked back towards her, wrapping her in a hug. She tilted her face up at him, surprised to see that he was angry. "Did you really think that I would expect that already!?" he asked. He sounded surprisingly furious. "I'm not like Remus or Peter, Lily. I thought you knew that."

"Of-of course," Lily stuttered out. "I'm sorry."

Instead of answering James caught her mouth in a kiss. Lily smiled a little as she leaned into him. After a few seconds, she stopped the kiss to look around at the room.

James stood back and let her explore. "Do you like it?" he finally asked.

The room was made up of entirely different shades of red and black. The bed itself was huge, dominating over half the room. The back of the room was a window, instead of the wall. The sun glinted of the bed, giving a suggestion of how beautiful it would be at sunset. Lily took a few seconds to take it all in. "I love it," she answered.

* * *

"Ready for that volleyball game?" Remus asked, giving a cursory knock on the door. Izzy was wrapped around him, wearing an even skimpier outfit than before.

Lily cocked her head a little. "I'm still confused," she began, following Remus and James through the maze of hallways and doors. "Wizards play volleyball."

"No," Sirius laughed, walking up behind her. Lily jumped. Sirius acknowledged her surprise with a small smile. "But Muggles do, even rich Muggles. And our family taught us so we could be kept occupied while they made millions off our playdates." He laughed. "My mother was so proud of me the day I came home and told her I was friends with James Potter."

Lily laughed with Sirius. "And were his parents as proud when he told him that he was friends with Sirius Black?" She smiled at him easily.

James suddenly grabbed Lily's hand, tugging her forward. "Very," he said curtly. "Do you play volleyball?" he asked, changing the subject back to what it had been originally.

"A little. I'm not so good. Not all of us spend all day catching and throwing balls," she teased him. She reluctantly turned her gaze away from Sirius. He was flirting with Scarlet again. _What had happened in Russia?_ she wondered again. He never talked to girls before. At least, not girls that weren't her or Candice. "Why?"

"You can be on my team," James answered, evading the question. "My height and experience can make up for your clumsiness and midgetness." He offered a smile to let Lily know that he was teasing, their old joke of which was the freak in height.

"Midgetness is not a word," Lily answered. She returned his smile and gently squeezed his hand. "And I still stand by the fact that you're a freak."

James pulled her closer to him, a smile playing on his lips. He quickly swept out her legs from under her, spinning her a circle. Lily was laughing within a few seconds. "I give, I give," she managed to get out.

James stopped spinning but still held her. "Admit it," he said.

"You're normal. I'm just short," Lily said. James smiled and gave her a peck on the lips before he set her down.

The others quickly divided into teams. It ended up, James, Lily, Peter, and Kelsey on one side verse the others. James's height was supposed to balance out Sirius's, although, nothing would balance out the fact that James _did_ spend every day playing Quidditch, tossing around a quaffle. The girls excused themselves to go to the bathroom to freshen up and change into appropriate volleyball clothes. Lily was dragged with them. Apparently, not even witches could go to the bathroom alone.

"So how did you do it?" Kelsey asked, twisting her long, blonde hair up into a ponytail. She smooched her lips at the mirror, before taking out a makeup bag. It was filled with beauty potions that Lily had never even heard of before, not that Kelsey needed them.

"Do what?" Lily asked.

"Hook the sole heir to the Potter fortune, of course," Kelsey answered. "James is filthy rich, not to mention ho-ot," she spaced out the last word into several syllables.

"Yeah," Scarlet giggled in agreement. Lily shrugged her shoulders. "I did get lucky with Sirius, though. I'm so happy that Remus asked us to come. That boy may possibly be hotter than James."

Lily tuned them out while they discussed the merits of the different boys. _Remus asked them_, she thought. And then, surprised, she wondered why that fact made her so relieved. She turned and walked out the door, leaving the other girls to their superficial conversation. She saw Sirius and smiled, waving a hand in greeting. "Ready to play?" she asked.

"Ready for anything," Sirius answered.

Lily took her place by James's side and smiled at Sirius, daring him to start the game.

* * *

**AN**

I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for not updating before now. I apologize, some things happened and I haven't been ready to finish this before now. However, I am back and 99.9 percent certain the next chapter will be up way sooner than this one. And it will have all the action that his one was lacking. I had to set the stage. And, since I have been AWOL, if you said anything in your last review or sent me a note, I'm sorry I didn't reply. But if you say it again in a new review or send me a new note, I promise to respond.

Other than that, reviews will help me get up the new chapter a lot faster, as always!!! Thank you for staying with me and I'm off to keep writing.

(PS, who thought the title was doubly appropriate?)


	16. Balance

**Balance**

"Congratulations on your win," Remus said. He handed Lily a drink.

"Thanks," Lily said, meaning both the drink and the compliment. She took a sip of it and chocked, spitting it back onto the ground. "What is this!?"

Remus laughed and told her the ingredients. "You're probably not used to such a potent drink. Its worse than Firewhiskey."

"Which makes it perfect for me," Sirius said, sliding up to take the Lily's drink. He took a sip of, swallowing than smiling at Lily, as if to say _Ha, I kept the drink down._

"Prongs, you want?" Remus held up James's usual drink.

James wiped the sweat off his brow and walked over, taking the drink. He took a big wig. Lily immediately felt like the baby, the only one not drinking. The other girls had gone back inside to change. _Again_. Lily didn't expect them back for at least another hour. They had complained about having to sweat the entire time.

"You were surprisingly good," James complimented Lily. He smiled evilly, "for a midget."

"Not quite as good as you four," Lily acknowledged the truth. The Marauders played like they had been playing together forever. Which, of course, they had. They moved together perfectly, Peter setting the ball, allowing James to spike it. And Sirius was in the spot where the ball would land, before James hit it. Lily had spent most of the game watching them.

James shrugged it off and wandered off toward the shore. The others followed him, sitting down on the bare sand. They talked serenely for the next few hours, gazing off into the waves. Sirius was caught up on everything that he had missed in the weeks he had been gone. When he heard about Rosemary, he couldn't decide whether to laugh or be concerned.

"You didn't murder her?" he asked James, quite seriously.

"Lily asked me not to," James said calmly.

Sirius paused, considering how much his friend had changed. Normally, violence was James's first, and only, reaction. Money had smoothed over every fight he had been in before, but it didn't mean that James hadn't caused some serious damage. He went back to asking questions, carefully avoiding answering any about himself.

xXx

James stood up, not interrupting Remus's conversation about their last prank. He walked up to the shore and picked up the shell that had caught his eye. He turned it over critically, before dipping it in the water to rinse it off. He sat back down next to Lily and took a silver chain from around his neck. He used his wand to drill a hole in the shell, ignoring Lily's question. Finally, he strung the tiny pink shell on the chain and put it around her neck. The chocker on him, fell closer to her chest. She looked closely at the shell before tucking it into her shirt.

"I love it," she murmured. James nodded and pulled her closer to him in a silent embrace.

xXx

Lily stared out the window from her spot on the bed. The sunset had been gorgeous, but knowing that James was sleeping just a few meters away made it impossible to sleep. One hand unconsciously reached up to touch the shell that lay next to her heart. It was truly beautiful, pink with silver streaks.

A dark figure suddenly appeared on the beach, outlined by setting sun. He turned his head, meeting her eyes, even if he didn't know it. The long, dark hair let her know that it as Sirius. He turned his head back towards the ocean and continued walking.

Lily stood up slowly, as if in a trance. She cast a temporary silencing charm on the room, so James wouldn't hear her and wake.

"Hey," Lily whispered softly.

"Hi," Sirius returned the greeting, not startled at all by her sudden appearance. Sneaky, Lily was not. "Can't sleep?"

"No, don't like being in strange places," Lily replied, a half-truth. "You?"

"Couldn't stop thinking," Sirius answered. He sat down, drawing circles in the sand.

Lily threw herself down next to him, so they were not quite touching. She waited in silence for him to tell her what was wrong. She listened to the waves crash in front of them, the only thing breaking the calm.

"It went well at first," Sirius finally said. He stared off into space, not strong enough to look her in the eyes. "We were together all the time, laughing and talking into the night. We were always touching, holding hands, or hugging. It was the best days of my life. And then," his voice slowed and weakened. He was whispering now, not wanting to admit that it had happened, "she left to work. And from the time the door closed, to when it opened, I did nothing. I was so inadequate. I couldn't do anything to support the woman I loved. Not in that environment." He stopped talking, letting the tears stream down his face.

Lily sat there, stunned. At least, she couldn't help thinking, this was the Sirius that she had known. She liked it better than the playboy he had been acting like. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she said finally. "I really thought you guys were perfect together." There was more to the story, she knew it. But Sirius didn't want to tell it. And she wouldn't ask him too.

"I thought we were too," Sirius said.

Lily hugged him gently, allowing him to cry. They stayed there like that for a time, the waves masking the sounds of Sirius's sobs.

xXx

Lily was just returning to her room, when James came roaring down the hallway. His hair was sticking every which way as he ran. He saw her and stopped, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Where have you been!?"

"I was taking a walk," Lily lied. "What's wrong?"

"I-I. Don't leave without telling me next time," James finally said. He hugged her, gripping her tightly, before releasing her.

"He thought you had drowned," Remus told her, rubbing his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up even more. "He was having cast searching charms."

Lily laughed before glancing at James. He looked frustrated. "I'm sorry, James," she said, finally realizing how concerned he was. "I didn't want to wake you."

The others began to stumble back to their rooms. James mussed up Lily's hair. "I was just scared that something happened to you, Lils. You can't just go off like that."

Lily suddenly got irritated. "I don't have to check in with you every moment."

James was always ready to match her in anger. "No, and I didn't ask you too. But when you wander off in the middle of the night, its common courtesy to inform me that you're leaving." His eyes flashed dangerously.

Lily opened her mouth to argue and then closed it, remembering what Remus had said. "I'm sorry," she said. "You're right."

James was already to argue with her again. Her answer took him back unexpectedly. "Thanks," he said quietly. Her took her arm and pulled her into their room. "Was the beach pretty?" he asked. He sat down on the bed.

Lily sat in front of him, leaning back into his chest. "Yeah," she answered, softly, "it was like a dream."

xXx

"Rematch!"

Lily woke to Remus screaming the challenge the next day. She wearily dragged herself out of bed, untangling James's arms from around her in the process. Remarkably, he had slept through Remus's screaming. Lily shook his shoulder gently.

"What?" James asked groggily.

"Remus decided it was time to get up," Lily told him, whispering in response to his tone. They had stayed up for at least an hour talking, Lily feeling guiltier with each word. James, once she got past the rough exterior, was actually a human being. She had asked him about his childhood, the previous times he had spent in this summer home. His answers had been hilarious, involving more often than not, the other Marauders and his cousin, Gwen. She had laughed so hard, she had actually cried. But every time he had touched her, it had just reminded her of Sirius's hug on the beach.

"I thought I was over him," Lily said softly, under her breath.

James rolled out of bed, grabbing a change of clothes. He walked into the connecting bathroom. "I'll leave you in here to change," he said, suddenly embarrassed. He began to walk away, before suddenly stopping to face her. "Last night was perfect, Lily. Thank you." He strode into the bathroom before Lily could react.

Lily collapsed onto the bed. _'What am I going to do?'_

xXx

"Sit down, Lily," Remus told her, patting the seat next to him.

Lily complied with thinking, plopping herself down on the sand. "What's up?"

Remus used a finger to trace the rim of his glass. He looked up at Lily, measuring her with her glance. "Do you remember the first time you met Candice?"

"Yeah," Lily answered, confused as to why he suddenly brought this up. "James was still hazing me, but you decided that you were bored of that, so you introduced us," Lily recalled the story.

Remus nodded. "But right before that."

Lily shook her head.

"Sirius teased you about something, I can't even remember what is was, just that he teased you. Back then, that was monumental. He barely talked to anyone outside the five of us," Five meaning the Marauders and Candice, Lily assumed. "but you, he teased."

Remus sighed, staring at Lily's confused face. She didn't understand what point he was making. "And the first time you talked to James, for real?"

Lily nodded, "How could I ever forget punching him?"

"You're still the only one that ever tried to constrain him, told him that his actions were wrong," Remus told her.

His expression was so serious. Lily didn't understand it.

The confusion showed in her face. Remus sighed, and he began to stand up. "You have both their hearts, Lily Evans. Don't break them."

Lily sat there, stunned, long after Remus had left. It wasn't that easy. She couldn't balance two hearts, not without dropping one of them.

xXx

"Seriously, James!? This is vacation," Peter whined.

James didn't bother to answer, instead he handed a broom to Peter and then turned, offering one to Lily.

"So why exactly are we playing Quidditch, oh leader?" Sirius drawled.

Remus stepped up to the plate, answering him in a bad imitation of James's voice. "Because, we have to beat Slytherin, oh dear Padfoot."

"About twelve hours of practice a day should do it," Peter continued.

"You're forgetting the freak weather patterns that occur oh so regularly at Hogwarts, make it sixteen," Sirius finished.

"Cute, Pads," James grunted.

"What's the story behind the nicknames, anyways?" Izzy asked, sliding up to take the proffered broom.

"You tell me," Remus answered. He wrapped his free arm around her waist.

"Well, some say it because their your favorite animals," Scarlet offered.

"Lame and unoriginal," James said rudely. He didn't even try to make his comment seem funny. Scarlet closed her mouth, offended.

"I think its because you resemble those animals," Kelsey offered.

"You definitely have horns," Scarlet told James.

Lily smiled at Scarlet's jab.

"Doesn't matter," James decided. He picked up the quaffle and tossed it a few times. "Same teams as yesterday?" Everyone nodded their agreement. "Let's play," James said, tossing it high into the air, and mounting his broom to speed after it.

James's team won again, of course. James was the only person there that played Quidditch on a regular basis. The other Marauders played surprisingly well, though. Lily guessed it was because James always forced them to play over 'holidays.' She and the other girls had done basically nothing. With the exception of Lily, they had not been on a broom since Professor Hooch had attempted to teach them their first year. Lily hadn't played since her years playing on her old school's team. She had even fallen off her broom at one point. James had caught her barely five yards from the ground. After that, Lily hadn't tried any more daring saves. The sun was setting by the time their feet touched the ground again.

"Ready to go to bed?" Remus asked the group, yawning and stretching at the same time. Playing Quidditch with James always left him feeling aches in muscles he didn't know he had.

"Moony," Kelsey rolled the name around in her mouth. "I thought you would like being outside at night."

Remus widened his smile. "I do. However, nights aren't always safe for women."

Lily burst out laughing. "Cheesy, Remus."

Remus inclined his head towards Lily. "You might be safe," he acknowledged. "The girl that slapped James Potter. What do you have to be afraid of in the dark?"

Peter rubbed his chin with his hand, as if considering the question. "Would you be afraid of a dragon, Lily? Or a yeti?"

Lily shook her head.

"What about a werewolf?"

"Depends who the person had been," Lily answered honestly.

Remus burst out laughing. "I never thought I would hear someone answer that way. Thank you, Lily." Lily laughed with him, slightly confused. "Anyway," Remus said with a bright smile, "regardless of whether I like the night or not, I am still exhausted. Night, everyone."

"Night," everyone murmured. They each wandered off to their respective bedrooms. James fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, pausing only to kiss Lily goodnight.

For Lily it wasn't so easy.

Finally, after she got bored of staring out the window. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "There won't be any werewolves here," she told herself, not letting Peter and Remus's 'bedtime story' scare her. She found her shoes by the light of the moon and put them on. _Besides _she realized, looking out the window, _it wasn't quite a full moon. _She wandered along the side of the beach in silence, listening to the lap of waves against the sand.

"You're out here again."

Lily jumped, startled by the voice breaking the silence. She turned around to see Sirius laughing quietly at her reaction.

"I told you, I can't sleep in strange places," Lily answered indignantly, pulling her robe tighter around her body.

Sirius laughed once more. "Of course not, Lily Evans." He walked ahead of her, so Lily matched her pace to his.

"And what about you?" Lily asked him. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Scarlet was annoying me," Sirius answered her. "She wouldn't shut up."

Lily wasn't expecting that answer. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone."

"No," Sirius said. "I don't mind talking to you." His voice was gentle.

Lily considered his answer for a moment. "Why did you come with her then?"

Sirius tiled his head slightly. "You came with James."

"So!?" Lily answered, startled by the implications in his answer.

Sirius turned to face her. He studied her face silently. Lily was trapped, staring into his eyes. Sirius slowly reached up and undid the chain around her neck. He let James's shell fall to ground. "Why are you with him, Lily?"

Lily shook her head, not even realizing that the salty taste on her mouth wasn't from the ocean. "You left to follow Candice. And James waited four hours for me." She trailed off.

"Lily," Sirius said, "I've been waiting my entire life for someone like you." He reached forward and cupped his hand around Lily's head. He slowly brought his mouth down to touch hers. Lightly and then gaining in intensity.

Lily stood still, at first, not reacting. She didn't know what to do. She moved her mouth with Sirius's out of habit. The tears were streaming harder now. Sirius released her, a confused expression on his face. "Lily, I thought you wanted this," he said, pain in his voice.

"I do," Lily realized it was true as she said it.

"James," she added, the word barely audible.

Sirius nodded. He stared off into the waves, stoically quiet. He continued standing there long after he heard Lily leave. He bent down and picked up the shell necklace. He put it in his pocket and walked away.

xXx

"Did you leave again, Lily?" James asked, stirring from sleep as Lily closed the door.

"Yeah," Lily whispered. "I was just taking another walk by myself. Go back to sleep." She lay down in bed, not allowing herself to cry. She watched James's face as she drifted into unconsciousness. She allowed herself to remember all the times they had spent together. She reminded herself of why she loved him. Him. James.

His name was on her lips as she fell asleep.

xXx

They all sat around the table the next day, eating brunch before they had to leave to go back to Hogwarts. Kelsey and Izzy mourned the end of their vacation. Privately, they mourned what they knew would be the last days they would spend with the Marauders.

They chattered meaninglessly over their meal. Peter and Remus discussed some new prank they wanted to pull, after swearing the girls to secrecy. "Can you refill my drink?" Scarlet asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded, getting up. As he did, something fell out of his pocket. James leaned down to return it to him. He stopped halfway through the motion, running the chain through his fingers. And the pink shell that was attached to it.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius said, "Can you return that to Lily? She must have dropped it last night. I ran into on my own walk along the beach. Neither of us could sleep."

James turned to face Lily. "You said you were taking a walk by yourself!" His face began to turn red as his volume increased.

Lily just stared at him, not knowing what to say. Her face betrayed her emotions.

James turned from Lily, to Sirius, and back to Lily. "I'm done, Lily, I'm done." He faced Sirius. "I thought that you were over him. I thought that I finally stood a chance with you, Lily, once Sirius was gone. I would have moved the heavens and earth for you, Lils. I loved you so much. But I'm done. I can't trust you anymore."

Lily was crying by the time he reached the end of his second sentence. Sirius walked up to James, begging him to understand, begging his forgiveness.

And then James broke the code.

No matter what they did to outsiders, the Marauders stood together. No matter what fights they had. They stood together. In a world where allies could change in a moment based solely on money, they were the only people they could depend on. They humiliated others; but they stood together.

'Cause they were all they had.

Even when James had forced Sirius out of the Marauders, he had never really left. James had never harmed Sirius. Everyone knew that Sirius would eventually be part of that group again. He belonged there. And Remus and Peter never once spoke against Sirius.

_Because they…_

Sirius walked closer to James, repeating his apologies.

When he got close enough, James punched him in the jaw.

Sirius went down. He wasn't quite unconscious, but he hit the ground. James turned around and walked out on his once best friend.

"I didn't really think that you would do it," Remus said to Sirius. "At least you had Candice. Lily was all James ever had. And you had to take that away from him. He never would have done that to you."

Sirius struggled to sit up as he watched Remus and Peter walk away from him, no apologies left in their eyes.

…_were all they had. _

**AN**

**Beta'd version.**

**So the 16****th**** chapter business: I wrote a little Christmas thing, but it confused my one reviewer. And it was short, and kind of broke the rhythm. It happens after Harry is born. I decided to include it after this as a bonus. **

**Faith: **Its complicated. She loves James, but she loved Sirius first. And she can't just forget her feelings for him. She will eventually end up with James, but she needs to deal with her Sirius issues first. Thanks for the review! **Laura: **Yea! Someone who is not horribly angry at me for the Sirius thing. That was my explanation why she had to feel something for him too. Your review made me smile, cause someone got it. Thank you!!! **Bafads:** Thanks for the review! It was much appreciated. **Smartalic: **Kai is still at school, but Lily can't get over how she betrayed her. Even if she does understand. So they don't hang out anymore. Thanks for the review! **Phia **Sorry if you think its too close. I haven't really written for a while, so I guess it was less original. I think the next chapter will be different. The couch thing: James wanted to be in the same room as her, mostly so that the other Marauders wouldn't tease him. And he didn't want to be seen dragging in another bed. But he always didn't want to pressure Lily or make her sleep on the couch. So… Anyways, thanks for the very detailed review! I always appreciate constructive criticism. I will def try to make the story stick less to the plot from now on. **Fiona: **Thank you very much! **A.N.Y:** I about gave up hope on me too. Lol. Nah, Sirius isn't playboy. He was just trying to get over Candice. They're in their seventh year. I am very honored that you would break the ban just to read my update! Yeah, I know about the grammar mistakes. I hadn't talked to my Beta yet, but I wanted to post a chapter. So I tried to catch them. Anything you remember so I can fix it? Thank you very much for the long review! I loved it!! **Ness: **Yeah, I got the idea from it. My disclaimer is in Chapter eight, oddly enough. Thanks for the review! **Sopleaza:** Lol. Thanks for the encouragement. See above for the previous 16th chapter thing. Thanks for the review, I've missed getting them from you!

**So I tried to reply to all reviewers. If I somehow missed yours, SORRY!!! But please hit the review button. I absolutely love them and they help me write faster. Often, I only write if I have one in my inbox. Even if you just leave a smiley, it helps!**

**Anyway, the Christmas bonus: **

_Christmas Miracles_

Lily settled her head on James's shoulder. He tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her even closer. He turned to rest his chin on her hair.

They both stared at their Christmas tree and the remains of a formidable pile of presents. Harry, at about five months hadn't quite been able to open all the presents his godfathers and godmother bought him. However, the godfathers in question had had no problems helping him open them as well. Peter and Remus had torn into the presents with a vengeance. Wrapping paper had been flying everywhere.

Sirius had sat on the couch with them and laughed at their friends. Lily fingered the necklace at her throat, his gift to her. It was beautiful. The seashell charm had brought a sad smile to her face. They had been through so much together.

Lily buried her face into James's shoulder. She lifted her face, her lips barely an inch from him. "I love you James Potter."

"Love you forever," James murmured, closing the distance between their lips.

Lily relaxed into the familiar kiss. When it finished, she rested her head on James's chest. "Do you remember our seventh year?" she asked.

James chuckled gently. "How could I forget? That was a pretty crazy year."

"Yea," Lily recalled. "You made me your slave. I slapped you…"

"Punched," James interjected. "That was definitely a punch."

"Whatever," Lily glossed over that part of the story, "You saved me a couple times; I ran away once; we broke up once."

"More than once."

"Shhh..." Lily shushed him, hitting him lightly one the leg. "I'm telling this story. We broke up a few times," Lily amended. "Your mom scared me half to death."

"Your parents were no picnic either," James gently reminded her. He began to stroke her hair, running his fingers through its red length.

Lily hit him on the leg again, rebuking him for interrupting her again. "You got engaged to another girl."

"You dated my best friend," James once again interrupted her. Lily hit him again. "Ouch. Sorry. I'll stop."

Lily smiled. "And you waited four hours for me in the rain. Saved me from a mob. Disobeyed your mom several times to eventually marry me. Punched _sooo _many guys out for me. Chased me when I ran away."

"That's the better part of the story," James whispered into her ear. He moved his arms so they were wrapped around her stomach. "The part where I get to be the hero."

"And not the spoiled, rich kid," Lily teased.

James smiled evilly and moved his hands under her shirt. He began to tickle her until she cried for mercy.

"We had some good moments," Lily decided, after she regained her breath.

They sat in silence for a while, staring at the Christmas tree, allowing the memories to overwhelm them. The fire crackled gently in the background.

Finally, James captured Lily in another kiss. "Merry Christmas, Lils."

"Merry Christmas, James," Lily murmured in return. As their lips touched, Lily remembered the moment when she decided this was how she was going to spend the rest of her life and smiled blissfully. She was finally, truly happy.

**So please hit that pretty green button. Pretty please. With a candy on top. **

**  
Happy Holidays to everyone. **


	17. The Aftermath

**The Aftermath**

Lily walked around school like a ghost. Rose was refusing to speak to her. Chase was missing in action. And the rumors had started again.

They were more intense, more detailed. Except this time they had a basis of truth. Lily heard them whispered whenever she entered or left a room. Lily had cheated on James with his best friend. James had punched Sirius out. Sirius was now in Saint Mungo's. (This one persisted even though Sirius was walking around perfectly fine.) Lily was an evil slut. James was going berserk with loss. He was unstoppable now, punishing for every single slight against him, real or imagined.

The torturing was back, but not as vicious as it was before. It was like they were afraid James was going to announce it was all a joke and avenge Lily again. No one was anxious to be dangled in mid-air. So instead, they ignored Lily. James couldn't punish _everyone _for not talking to her.

Lily was beginning to miss the sound of a human voice. There was no Candice to knit the group back together.

But at least this time she had Sirius.

"We should go on a date," Sirius announced, coming up behind her.

"Sure," Lily agreed. There was a smile on her face. It seemed a tad bit forced.

Sirius abruptly stopped and turned. Lily was forced to run to catch up to him. "You mean right now?" she asked.

"Why, do you have a class?" Sirius asked, responding to the confusion in her voice.

"No," Lily shook her head. She sighed, not wanting to explain why his behavior was unusual. "Now is fine. Where are we going?" She expected somewhere around the castle, maybe their trees.

"Hogsmeade," Sirius answered. "Isn't that the usual place for a date?"

Lily had forgotten that she was dealing with one of the members-former members of the Marauders. They didn't do things like normal. She walked next to Sirius as they continued on to Hogsmeade. She babble about something, just to hear him talk. Sirius was back to his usual self. Lily had missed him.

She just couldn't stop herself from comparing him to James.

* * *

Lily swung her arms slightly as she walked down the path with Sirius. "So what did you have in mind for our date?" she asked conversationally, breaking the silence.

"Well," Sirius started, "We normally-" And then he stopped mid-sentence as he realized who 'we' referred to. "Do you want to shop for clothes?" he asked, falling back to what Candice loved doing.

"Um, no," Lily answered. She was slightly confused. Why would Sirius think she wanted to shop for clothes? "Why don't we just walk around? Browse the stores and just talk?"

Sirius nodded his head in agreement. "Talk about what?" he asked.

Lily thought back to when they first met. "You like Quidditch?" she asked.

Sirius laughed as loud as he had the first time she said that.

They spent hours just walking around and talking. Lily asked Sirius some light questions about Russia. He gave a joking reply and somehow that segued into a conversation about the best type of candy. Lily was all for chocolate frogs. It was the first type of wizarding candy she had eaten at her old school. However, Sirius favored Acid Pops. Lily told him he had a sick sense of humor. Lily, disgusted, changed the subject to their childhoods. They traded stories for a while.

Half-way through it occurred to Lily that this was her Sirius. This was the Sirius who had left for Russia, not the one that had returned. And then it occurred to her that if this had been the Sirius that had returned, would he have had the courage to steal her from his best friend...?

Hogsmeade was almost deserted, since all the students were in, well school. The air was a tad colder than was typical in the autumn. Lily was walking with her hands jammed into Sirius's coat pocket. Sirius had put it around her after she had shivered.

"So, then I pushed Petunia into the toilet," Lily finished her story.

Sirius covered his mouth as he chuckled. "I don't believe you."

Lily nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders. She reached up to tuck her red hair behind her ear. "I love her, but she was annoying me."

Sirius chuckled again, some of his black, shaggy hair falling into his eyes. "Still, she's your sister."

"You are so an only child," Lily answered him.

Sirius nodded his head. "Guilty." He stopped to point at a store. Lily shrugged, so Sirius pushed the door open. The warmer air inside was a welcome relief after walking around outside. Lily looked around, noticing the art supplies surrounding her. She flinched slightly at the prices. "So teach me about art," Lily told him.

Sirius smiled and happily obliged. He pointed out his favorite art supplies and told her what type of effect they would produce. He fingered her hair at one point, twisting it around on his finger as he showed her a brand of charcoal pencils. As he was showing her the strokes used on the artwork hung in various places around the place, the owner walked up.

"You like this piece, Mr. Black?" he asked with a slight bow. Secretly, he was honored. One of the Marauders was in his store. Besides, everyone knew that Sirius Black was in charge of his family fortune.

Sirius shrugged. "I liked the piece over there better. The subject matter was much more intriguing." He began an earnest talk with the shop keeper, debating the merits of the different artists.

Finally, Lily got bored. "Sirius, I'm going to go ahead and go back to the castle. I have some homework to go," She touched his shoulder gently and Sirius nodded.

Lily stepped out of the door and began the walk back, a smile playing on her face. She started replaying what had just happened in her head, lost in the memories.

"Hey, baby."

Lily looked up, finding herself in an unfamiliar alley. She must have taken a wrong turn at some point.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone?" A guy catcalled. He had long, greasy hair. It might have been blonde at one point. His robe was also tattered, as if to complete the picture. He and his two friends were twirling their wands on their fingers.

_Fine, _Lily thought, _two can play that game. _She reached for her wand…and found it gone. Lily began desperately patting her pockets, searching for her wand.

"Looking for this?" the guy with black hair and a buzz cut called. He held up Lily's wand.

Lily couldn't stop herself from taking a step forward, hand reaching for her wand.

"Nope," the guys said, slipping the wand back into his pocket. "First, you have to be a good girl for us."

"No," the blonde guy said with a sneer, "I would rather she be a bad girl, a very bad girl."

The other guys laughed, as if this was the wittiest thing they every heard. They began to creep towards Lily.

Lily laughed. The guys were shocked, pausing for a seconds. "C'mon, drop the wands boy, and you'll see just how bad I can be. Give me a chance to fight you fairly. Or are you just afraid to fight a little girl," Lily teased them. "Want to go running home to your mommies? Tell her that you took down a tiny girl, alone and wandless. And it only took three of you?" Lily taunted them, jeering.

_EXPELLIARMUS _

The spell came from somewhere behind Lily, cast with so much force that the boys were thrown into the wall, striking their heads. "Idiots," a voice muttered.

Lily silently agreed.

She rushed forward to grab her wand from buzz cut guy's pocket before turning around to face her savior. "Than-" the word died in her throat as she saw exactly who had saved her.

This woman was gorgeous. Lily would have put her age about twenty-three, with gorgeous, hip-length hair. The shiny black color looked like it had never heard of grease, frizz or anything else mortals have to deal with. Her features were striking, green eyes complimenting her athletic body. She looked almost like a cat, ready to attack.

"Oh honey," the mysterious woman said, rushing forward, "Are you okay?" She wrapped her arms around Lily, after kicking one of the unconscious men in the stomach.

Lily stood in silence until the woman released her. "Thank you," Lily finally forced out, confused as to who this girl was.

The woman laughed and put a hand on Lily's back guiding her out of the alley. "No, but you will be," answering her own question. "I'm Gwen, by the way."

"Lily," Lily answered.

Gwen's personality was overwhelming. Lily found herself agreeing to enter Gwen's house and to let servants pamper her. Gwen promised her some fresh clothes as soon as she got out of the bath, seeing as these clothes had a speck of dirt on them. Every time Lily tried to protest Gwen would just say how terrifying that incident must have been and she now felt obliged to try and make amends for the other members of the Wizarding race.

After a while Lily just found it easier to agree.

* * *

"Gwen!" James burst through the door.

A smiled lit up Gwen's face. She shooed her maids away and stood up, holding her arms open. A quick grimace crossed James's face before he complied, giving her a hug.

"Am I still the only relative you'll hug?" Gwen asked with a laugh in her voice.

James ignored the question, running a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me you were back? I had to hear about Gwen Katen coming to town from school gossip!?"

Gwen smacked him on the arm. The hard type of smack. The type that leaves a bruise. "You haven't seen me in over four months and that's the first thing you say?" She brushed her hair away from her face and sat down on the sofa, gesturing to James that he should sit next to her.

"Sorry, cousin," It would have been a dutiful apology save for the tone that it was said in. James smirked at his cousin. "Besides, you're the one that went to live in America with her husband."

"Yes, excuse me for wanting to live with my husband," Gwen rolled her eyes. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen, talking over her shoulder. "So how have Aunt and Uncle Potter been?" Even their niece couldn't call them by their first name.

James quirked an eyebrow. "Well, in the five minutes I've spent with them since you left, they've been wonderful. Mother yelled at me, told me I should do better in school. Find the proper sort of girl to settle down with. She tried to set me up with Crystal over the summer. That troll. Poor, too."

Gwen kicked him as she sat back down. "Don't refer to girls that way."

James just shrugged. "If you met her, you would understand."

Gwen ignored the comment. "Wine? I brought an excellent vintage back with me from America."

"Why not?" James answered.

Gwen poured both of them a glass before handing the bottle off to one of the hovering maids. "We'll talk about girls later. Now tell me, how has school been going? The Marauders still terrorizing?" She took a sip of her wine, relaxing into the sofa. She looked very much the socialite.

James frowned. "Remus and Peter are doing fine. Still the womanizers that you always knew." He took a sip of his wine, transforming into the boy he always was with his cousin. He snapped his fingers and a maid rushed forward to take the drink. "Not your best wine, coz," James changed the subject rabidly, not letting Gwen ask about Sirius. "How was America? And your dearly betrothed?" There was a slightly pause before dearly, enough to make it stand out. Gwen had married for money, as his Mother had wanted her too. As James mostly likely would.

"Benjamin is doing fantastic," Gwen answered. "He makes all the best investments and, most importantly, stays out late. He has taken an unusual interest in cars lately."

"Boy had too much commoner's blood in him," James dismissed him cruelly.

Gwen laughed slightly. "Not everyone can be a Potter."

James inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Besides," Gwen added quietly, "he's growing on me."

"What?" James asked, not catching it...

"How about Sirius?" Gwen asked, changing the subject back. "How has he been? Still obsessed with Candice?" She heard light footsteps on the stairs. Lily was coming.

James shook his head. "We're not speaking at the moment. Ask him yourself."

Gwen's delicate eyebrow arched. "We'll talk about this later." It was not a comment so much as a command. "Right now there is someone I want you to meet." She stood up, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor. As Lily turned the corner, Gwen slid her arm into Lily's. "James, this is Lily, a girl I saved today from a couple of idiot boys. Lily, this is James Potter, my cocky cousin."

Lily and James just stared at each other, eyes wide. Lily stuttered, not managing to get a word out. Finally, she just stood there, mouth open, calling herself an idiot. How did she not match up the black hair and green eyes.

James recovered fully first. "We've met," he said. He pivoted on one foot and walked into the other living room.

Gwen released Lily's arm and took a step back so she could face her. "You'll have to excuse my cousin. He's like that around all girls, I'm afraid. His parents weren't around much when we were young so I practically raised him." Gwen thought fondly back to all the times she had smacked/kicked/abused James when she was 'raising' him. Every time he said something cruel or demeaning she would react.

Lily was still stunned by the cool, callous tone in his voice. He hated her. He really did.

It was the first time they had spoke, the first words he had said to her since that day. "_I would have moved the heavens and earth for you, Lils. I loved you so much. But I'm done. I can't trust you anymore." _The words echoed in her head, mocking her. They silenced her, stilled her, so she listened to Gwen ramble on.

"And because of his cocky attitude, no one really talked to him. When he met the Marauders," Gwen stopped to consider. "You do know who the Marauders are, right? Since James knows you, I'm assuming you go to Hogwarts," Lily nodded. "They were the first people that really understood. Put up with his crap and didn't let him get away with the worst of it." Finally, Gwen stopped for a breath. "Anyway, that was a really long, rambling way of saying, I'm sorry that my cousin behaved like that. The thing is, I've been in America, and not just the pretty parts. And of all the girls I've seen get attacked, you are the _only_ one that taunted the attacker. That type of attitude would serve you well with my cousin."

Lily was forced to remember the day she had slapped James and declared war on him. Yeah, she always taunted the attacker.

"Like he said," Lily finally forced out, "We've met."

"Don't hold it against him," Gwen pleaded. "James, come in here," she called. She waited a few seconds, before James finally, obediently walked back into the room. "Keep Lily company for a second. I want to see if I can find your present." She walked out of the room before James could protest.

James defiantly stood there in protest, looking down the hallway Gwen had disappeared into.

Lily fiddled with her borrowed dress. After five minutes in silence, she just couldn't take it anymore. "Your cousin seems nice."

"Why are you talking to me?" James asked. "You're the one that didn't want me. Tell Gwen I'll be back later when she's down associating with the trash." He walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

* * *

Lily sat with Sirius at the table for dinner. He was telling her about the great art purchase he had made. Something about charcoal originals.

Lily was spacing out, playing today's earlier events in her mind. Too much had happened between her first date with Sirius, almost getting mugged, and meeting Gwen. Gwen had ended up very confused when Lily had stammered out that James had left. Soon after, Lily made her apologies and told Gwen she had a class she had to return too. A lie, but things were getting awkward.

She picked at her food, occasionally agreeing with whatever Sirius had to say. Soon enough, the two lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"Ready to go?" Sirius finally asked. His black eyes glanced at all the food left on her plate.

Lily nodded. She began to stand up before she heard the murmurs. The Hall went from silent to thunderous in a only a second. "What's going on?" Lily asked. It became a pointless question a second later.

"The new Marauder," Sirius heard someone whisper a second before he saw it.

James, Peter, Remus, and Chase walked down the aisle.

Chase was all dressed up. Like the Marauders, he no longer wore the uniform. Instead, he was in an expensive Armani suit, midnight black. Despite his ever present brown curls, which spoiled the effect a tad, he somehow seemed older, no longer as nerdy. His black shoes shined in the candlelight.

Remus walked ahead of him. "This is the new Marauder," he loudly announced, his tone making it seem like he was playing one big joke. "Well, the temporarily new Marauder." It was unclear whether he meant Chase was only temporary, or he would only be new temporarily until he fit the spot like he had been born into it.

Chase smiled and then saw Lily. His smile became much more enthusiastic. "Lily, isn't it exciting. I'm a Marauder now!"

Lily grinned in response, not knowing what else to do. Her hand reached out to squeeze Sirius's.

"Lily Evans?" A first year asked, obviously relieved.

Lily nodded, still staring at Chase. With them. A Marauder.

The first year handed her a slip of paper and ran off. Lily opened it at the same time James spoke.

His voice was hard and cool. It was emotionless as he made his pronouncement. "I almost forgot, another one of the rules of being a Marauder. You can't speak to Lily Evans."

Chase gasped as Lily was reading the careful calligraphy printed on the letter.

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_Lily Evan is expelled. The Potter family has protested the continuation of her enrollment at Hogwarts, bringing up several items that show her in violation of her scholarship requirements. Unless her tuition can be paid if full, Ms. Evans has one week to vacate the premises of Hogwarts with all of her belongings before we are forced to intervene._

_Sincerely, _

_The Board of Governors_

* * *

**AN**

**Wow, **apparently I have issues with Sirius and Lily too. That first part was so hard for me to write, but as soon as Gwen entered the words flowed a lot easier. Is it obvious? Anyway, I'm back to my dramatic endings. What does everyone think? And opinions on James's new attitude?

By the way, for all the **Twilight** fans out there. I started a new fic to kill the writer's block. Check it out if you're interested. Perpetual Moonlight  
The Children of the Night. True werewolves. Vicious predators, and the Cullens just happened to intrude on their land. Caius will fight to kill them. And Jacob and Nessie will fight to protect their pack. Bliss: it lasted exactly sixteen years.

**Phia:** He didn't strictly know about the kiss. But he could guess. Seeing as he knew Lily was in love with Sirius. Thank you for the review! **Sarcastic Hp Lover:** Lol. Thanks. I liked your compliments. I really was trying to be different, so it meant a lot. And someone that understands that Lily couldn't stop being in love with Sirius is very! welcome. So thanks you! And thank you for the long review! Amazing. **Laura: **Lol. At least Sirius and Lily have some supporters out there. But I'm sorry, she does have to end up with James. Good news? You have a chapter or too left of Sirius. Thank you for the review! **Lacie**: Actually added more to the story when I read your review, so it was very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to review! **Sopleaza:** Um, let me count. Broke up once after pictures. Then again after Rose. Wait, they didn't break up then. So only second break up, really. Anyway, Beta. It's a person who will grammar check the story. Add in their own ideas sometimes. And tell you what needs to be fixed in the plot line. Pretty much a life saver. Are you looking for one? Cuz if you are writing a fanfic about a story I've read, I would be happy to help. (No pressure to choose me though. Lol) I feel honored that you read each and every update. Thank you for the review! **Tazaloo**: Your wish is my command. Hope you liked the update. Thanks for the review! **Tothenines:** Wow, considering my story is now longer that a fair amount of books, I'm very impressed. That takes obsession. Which means, I'm also honored. And your review did inspire me to keep writing. I hope you like the update. Thanks for the review!


	18. The Match

Disclaimer: Yep, I don't own these characters. But I wish J. K. Rowling would write a prequel. Plot is based on Hana Yori Dango.

The Match 

"You're having me expelled!?" Lily screamed. She ignored Chase, babbling in the background about how he couldn't stop speaking to Lily; Lily was his best friend.

Instead, Lily took a step closer to James, her eyes livid. "You're freaking expelling me!?" she shrieked. She thrust the note to his chest with a thump, letting it fall to the floor.

One side of James's mouth quirked up slightly before he controlled it, slipping back into his emotionless pretense. "What perfect timing," he drawled.

That did it. Lily could have handled James laughing about it. She even could have handled him blaming her. After all, she had broken his heart not even a week ago. But the way he said it, a disinterested comment, like she was just another piece of business. _That_ ticked her off.

_Slap_

James's head didn't move despite the force of the blow. He took a step forward, his hand automatically curling into a fist before he remembered his objective. Before he remembered that he was James Potter. He would prove that no commoner could get to him. He unclenched and took a step back. "I just felt," he said slowly, projecting his voice, "that Hogwarts shouldn't be cluttered with poor trash like you."

Snickers followed his comment, spreading through out the hall. Crystal laughed out right. Lily's face flushed bright red with anger. She was obviously resisting the urge to just slug James.

"So what? It should just be filled with dumb trash like you?" Lily asked through clenched teeth.

Lily glared at him, tightening and loosening her fist. She took a step backwards, backing into Sirius's body. For once, he didn't reject the contact. He just let her stand there, taking solace in the fact that somebody liked her at the moment.

This was it. She was screwed. Her family was counting on her to get them out of poverty. Even with the scholarship, they were using the vast majority of their income on her uniform and books. The expense of her wand had about made them broke. But they were so proud of her. They were all counting on her. Her mom especially, had wanted her to marry a rich boy. Even if she could come up with the tuition, James would have her kicked out on some other basis.

"Expel me instead," Sirius said unexpectedly.

"What!" The question came from Peter. It was one thing to expel another student. They had done it all the time with their wilting roses, albeit never directly like this. But expelling one of the Marauders!? It didn't happen. It couldn't.

Sirius looked James dead in the eye, finally shaking some expression out of him. James's face was one of shock. He hadn't been expecting this. He knew Sirius cared for her, but this much? "You're mad at both of us. You don't want to deal with it. So expel me, and then you won't have too."

Then James recovered his composure enough to finish delivering his declaration. "Didn't I mention? They're expelling you too." He finally smiled, getting the victory he had wanted. Sirius didn't know what to say to that.

"What!" This time the question came from hundreds of throats. Sirius Black was getting expelled. This was huge.

Remus opened his mouth but the slam of the door blocked out whatever he was going to say.

"James Potter!" Gwen came storming through the door. Her long black hair was wind-blown, lending credence to her hurried look. Her eyes were narrowed and everything part of her radiated anger.

James turned to face her calmly, probably the only person in the Hall not visibly scared of her at the moment.

"I thought I raised you like a man! And here you are crying and throwing a temper tantrum like a little baby!" Gwen face flushed red with anger. She looked crazy. In some back part of her mind, Lily saw the resemblance between Gwen and James.

"And?" James cockily raised an eyebrow.

Gwen was thrown off stride for a moment by the casual comment before regaining her momentum. "And I expect you to fight this out like a man. You want them out, fine. But at least fight them for it. Don't just use your parent's money to get everything you want!"

Remus watched the different emotions cycle through James's face. First, anger, scorn, and finally an odd sort of acceptance. Remus was grateful that both Gwen and Lily had managed to forget that they were witches, and could have just used their wands to demolish James.

"Fine," James said.

Gwen turned to face Sirius. He didn't have the guts to argue with her at that particular moment. When they were younger, that look had always meant trouble for one or all of the Marauders. He nodded compliantly.

"Quidditch then. Lily, I assume this young man babbling about you is your friend?" Lily nodded in response. Chase finally shut his mouth, bringing his rambling about having to talk to Lily to a stop. "Three against three. I'll talk to the teachers, shorten the field. One keeper who will also play as chaser. Match lasts twenty minutes starting at seven tomorrow. Fair?"

James nodded, liking the turn of events. Quidditch indeed. Lily and Sirius would be expelled by this time tomorrow.

"Is that all settled?" Remus asking brightly, breaking up the mood. Everyone else involved nodded their heads. Remus smiled and walked over to Gwen, intertwining their arms. "Now tell me, how was New York and that husband of yours?"

Gwen laughed and allowed herself to be led out of the Hall. Her anger transformed to cheerfulness instantaneously now that she was convinced her cousin's behavior was under control. James and Peter followed them out of the Hall, the other students giving way before them.

And as easily as silence had settled over the school, it broke. All Lily heard was James's and Sirius's names being mentioned over and over again. She took a step away from Sirius, trying to convince herself to calm down. "That little-" she mumbled under her breath.

"What are we going to do!?" Chase asked in a high-pitched rush. "I can't get expelled. My parents will kill me. They were so proud, insisting on sending me to this school." He started wringing his hands nervously.

Sirius stepped forward, putting his hand on Lily's waist. "James didn't mention anything about expelling you, New Boy," he said coolly. "First things first, I've seen you play, Lils, but how good are you?" he asked Chase. He started walking out of the Hall, not able to take all of the people. The others followed him.

"Not so great," Chase admitted. "I fell off my broom, more often then not. Lily was a brilliant keeper, though," he offered with a grin.

Sirius sighed. He had seen Lily play. Sirius was the best among them.

"We'll practice," Lily said, determination filling her voice. "We aren't going to let those spoiled rich boys beat us. I bet James is the only good one among them." Her old stubbornness was showing through.

"You've seen them play before," Sirius reminded her. "There all good enough to make the team here. Remus and Peter just preferred to use their free time to chase girls."

Inwardly, Lily knew he was right. However, she couldn't let herself be expelled. "Then we'll use that against them. We'll have some pretty girls standing in the stands to distract them."

xXx

_Your mom wants you to come to New York_.

Gwen's word echoed through his head. James scowled, bashing his fist into the wall. The first year in front of him squealed and ran in the opposite direction. James smiled slightly.

Still, he scoffed; it was just like his mom to get underhanded like this, making Gwen do her dirty work. It was no wonder she was just as respected in the business world as his father. He brought his fist up to his mouth, licking the blood off his knuckles. His answer was going to be what it always was. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts and the Marauders. More importantly, he didn't want to leave the place where he had absolute power. No commoner would ever dare to disobey him.

James let his fist fall down to his side, enjoying the rare silence of the corridor. He wondered how he was going to tell Gwen his decision without her getting violent.

A few minutes later a second set of footsteps echoed his, letting him know that he wasn't alone. He frowned and turned around.

"Lea-" he stopped mid-word. "Lily?"

The girl in front of him raised her head, revealing the tell tale red hair and green eyes. She glared at him. "What do you want James!? You're already threatening to expel me. Perhaps next you can threaten to steal candy from a baby?"

The Muggle idiom was lost on James. "Why would I need to steal candy from a baby?"

Lily shook her head. She pivoted on her heel and started to walk off. "Wait," James called after her. Lily tuned around and stood there, waiting for James to say something.

James ran his hand though his hair again. Lily scowled, growing impatient. "Why did you choose Sirius?" James finally asked. It came out roughly, an accusation. When there was James Potter around, why would she need anyone else?

James didn't voice his real question. How could she betray him like that?

Lily didn't deign to answer. She turned around and began to walk away slowly, sore from hours of practice.

James stood there, watching her. As she was about to turn the corner, he finally opened his voice. "You know you can make this all go away, right? Pick me. Just tell him you want me."

He watched her pause for a second, consider his words. And then she walked away from him.

James sighed and rubbed his fingers over his knuckles. He raised a bloody finger to his lips, concentrating on the bitter taste. He went back to his previous thoughts. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts, did he?

xXx

Lily looked around at the stands the next day. After spending all day practicing every spare second it was finally seven. "Why are there so many people here?" she whispered to Sirius.

Sirius lazily looked at the stands, estimating that almost every person in Hogwarts must be up there to make them that full. He shrugged, not caring. "It's a match between the Marauders. Why wouldn't they show up?"

Lily squirmed nervously. She was going to have to get used to being this famous. She grabbed Sirius's hands as they walked towards the center of the field. Chase was sweating furiously on her other side.

Gwen stood at the center of the field, her long hair thrown up in a ponytail. Somehow she still managed to look elegant. A new broom lay at her side. "Sirius Black, Lily, and Chase," she announced.

The crowds jeered. Surprisingly, Lily smiled. The other students hating her she could easily take. After all, she had survived after the wilting rose. Chase squirmed even more.

"And entering from the other side: James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

The crowd started cheering as soon as Gwen announced James. By the time she reached Peter, no one could hear her anymore.

The three strolled out, looking unconcerned. As usual they weren't wearing any sort of uniforms. Remus was wearing a loose pair of slacks and a black button down shirt. He looked more ready to go to a party than play a game of quidditch. Lily wondered if he even thought he had to try.

James took the peak of the triangle as they stopped in front of Gwen. Sirius was opposite them.

"Okay, gentlemen and lady," Gwen said. Her voice bounced through the stands. "You know the rules. Twenty minutes game. No beaters or seeker. Ten points per goal. Up!" she shouted the last thing at her broom, startling everyone who was standing directly in front of her. Lily and Chase quickly repeated her words, rushing to follow her up in the air. The Marauders were lazier about it, taking their time.

Gwen sat with the quaffle in the middle. She raised the whistle to her mouth and threw the ball in the air with a tweet. The game had begun.

And fifteen minutes later, the Marauders were ahead one hundred to thirty. Lily had turned out to be a better keeper than Sirius had expected, but she still couldn't play chaser. Sirius had scored their thirty points and Chase had fallen off his broom twice.

"There's only seven minutes left," Lily worried. The other Marauders were floating by their goal with the quaffle. They obviously didn't feel the need to score any more points. James was tossing the quaffle up and down.

Sirius flew closer to her. "Then let's play harder." He reached one hand up to brush the hair out of her face…

…and James dropped the quaffle.

Sirius watched it fall with a quizzical look on his face. Chase swooped down and managed to catch it. "Lily," he called, chucking it at her. As Lily caught it and inch from her face, something clicked in James's head.

"We'll win," he whispered. He leaned forward, kissing her on the lips as he took the quaffle. Then he rushed towards the other hoop, a tactic they had tried before. Each time, James had simply the quaffle back.

But this time, he just watched Sirius fly by. Peter and Remus were on the other side of the pitch, not expecting to have to provide any type of defense. Sirius easily chucked the ball through the hoop, Remus arriving just in time to catch it as it fell through the other side.

_"100-40 James, Remus, and Peter!" Gwen announced. _

Remus tossed the quaffle back to James, expecting him to score another goal. James tossed it between his hands, playing with it as he slowly flew across the pitch.

Sirius increased his speed, reaching Lily before James had crossed the pitch. He smiled as he flew by her. "See honey, we can beat him!"

As soon as he said honey, James scowled and threw the quaffle as hard as he could. His aim was accurate, but he chose the hoop nearest Sirius and Lily. Slightly confused at Sirius's behavior, Lily easily intercepted the ball and tossed it to Sirius.

Sirius called out a play they had practiced earlier that day. He tossed the quaffle up to Chase and they sped down the pitch together. James didn't move. He just glared at Sirius from his broom. When Peter flew at Chase, he dropped it down to Sirius. He easily evaded Remus and: "100-50 James's team."

Sirius zoomed back to Lily as Peter grabbed the quaffle. He yelled at James before tossing it off to Remus.

"Lily," Sirius said too low for anyone but her to hear, "if you think this is wrong, tell me and I'll try to find another way to win. But this is the only way I can think of to save you. And Lily," Sirius paused, took a breath. "I want to save you."

Lily glanced at James's fury filled face before turning back to Sirius. An earnest expression covered his features as he waited for her answer. Then Lily thought of her parents' faces on the day she had received the scholarship. How proud they were of her. How they had spent the last of their savings on her wand.

"Thank you," she said simply.

xXx

"_With less than one minute remaining in the game, the score is 150-130 in favor of James's team."_

Lily glanced over at Sirius as they watched Chase's futile attempt to steal the quaffle from Remus. James's playing had steadily decreased through out the game as Sirius's flirting with Lily increased. Remus had ended up having to score forty of the fifty more points. "We're running out of time," Lily said. She caught the quaffle that Remus threw.

Sirius didn't bother to agree. Instead, he took off the pitch after her. Peter came barreling at Sirius, forcing him to throw the quaffle back to Sirius. With Remus on her tail, Lily chose to stop dead. Remus went flying past her, not expecting the move. When he was focusing on turning Lily flung the quaffle as hard as she could-

-and watched it fall short, straight into James's hands.

"_Twenty seconds left to go and Sirius's team is down by twenty with James in possession of the ball," Gwen called. _

Lily's entire body sunk. Even if she could somehow manage to get the quaffle back, there was no way to win in twenty seconds. That wasn't enough time to score twenty points.

Ten yards away, James stared at the quaffle in his hands as the score reverberated through his head. 150-130. Just high enough to ensure that Lily Evans would be expelled from Hogwarts.

James raised the quaffle and let if fall. "I quit," he announced.

Everyone on the pitch stared at him as he descended, stepping off his broom onto the ground. "What!" Remus asked, following him.

"I quit," James repeated. "This was a boring game anyway." He walked off towards the locker room.

Everyone else had reached the ground by this point. Chase gaped after James. Remus smiled and threw his arm around Sirius.

"James," Lily called, taking a step towards him.

James turned, his eyes filled with hatred. "Do whatever you want, Evans. Just leave me alone!" Even though he spoke at a normal volume, his voice burned with rage. Lily faltered at the sound of it. James turned back around and continued walking out.

"How could he stop in the middle of the game!?" Peter complained. His face was twisted into a pout.

"Why do you care?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah," Sirius back her up quietly, "Did you want me expelled?"

Remus laughed, escorting everyone off the field in the opposite direction of James. The spectators were confused at the moment, and he wanted to leave before they figured everything out. "We never would have let you be expelled Sirius."

"You sure weren't playing like it," Lily answered him; breaking out of the trance James's departure had left her in.

"We couldn't lose," Peter explained calmly, "it would make the Marauders look bad."

"We were going to talk him out of it later," Remus added. Lily remembered how Remus had suddenly began talking to her after James had given the wilted rose. His only explanation then had been that he had gotten bored of hazing her.

"Sure," Sirius sarcastically replied.

Remus put his hand over his heart, a joking expression on his face. "Sirius, Padfoot, old friend. How could you think we would ever let you be expelled. Besides, it seems like James may have finally gotten over himself." Remus thought for a moment and amended the sentence, "A little."

Gwen smiled at the addition.

"So where are we going?" Peter asked.

"To get drunk in celebration," Gwen answered automatically.

"Where?" Sirius inquired.

"Dorm room," Remus replied. "James didn't seem like he was going back there. Besides, that's where all our alcohol is stashed."

Lily wondered how much of their time this group actually spent sober.

xXx

"To winning!" Gwen toasted. She was already on her third on her fourth drink.

"No," Remus laughed, sloshing some of his drink over the side, "to not finishing them game."

"Not being expelled," Lily offered up. Of the group, she was the only person still on her first drink. She had largely decided the alcohol was an acquired taste and only sipped at the drink in her hand.

"Now," Gwen slurred, "to leave the happy couple alone."

"What!?" Lily yelped.

"I assume with James being James, you two haven't had time to be _alone_ yet," Gwen said, her voice laced with implications. "So I'm going to give it to you. Everyone not Lily and Sirius, follow me."

Peter stood up, prodding Chase out in front of him. "Besides," he told Lily over his shoulder, "we have our own lovely ladies to find."

"Treat the virgin nicely," Remus called over his shoulder.

In that moment, Lily could have easily killed him.

Gwen shut the door with a grin. "Oh, hi," she heard Remus say.

Gwen walked down the staircase, finding James waiting at the end of it. "Don't go up there," she said immediately. She started walking with the two of them out through the common room door.

"Why?" James asked, confused. He was shoved through the hole.

"Lily and Sirius are in there," Gwen informed him.

James's face twisted for a split second.

"You can stay with me if you can't find a place to sleep," Gwen called over her shoulder. She walked off before she had to deal with James's tantrum.

"So?" Remus asked, slightly nervous.

"I think I'll stay in the Room of Requirement," James told him.

"That's it?"

"I'm okay with it," James answered him. They stood there, quiet for a moment until James opened his mouth again. "I've decided to let Sirius have her. I'm done fighting."

Remus studied James's expression. He _seemed_ fine. "Yeah?"

James thought of what he had gone through with Lily. Giving her the wilting rose. Watching her battle it out with Hogwart's students. Seeing her fight back and fall for Sirius. And then Sirius had left and James had had his chance. He waited for her in the rain for all those hours. And then she had chosen him. Even Rose couldn't tear them apart. He had fallen asleep holding her in the hospital. Because he loved her. "Yeah," he answered, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Sirius had this picture when we were kids. It was a gorgeous one of Candice. God, even back then he loved her," James remembered. "But I knew Candice too, so I wanted the picture. I probably could have gotten hundreds like it if I had asked her. But I wanted his. So I took it, but Sirius didn't want to give it up. It tore when we fighting over it and I dropped my piece to the floor. Then I proceeded to yell at Sirius and blame him. I couldn't understand why he hadn't just given the picture to me."

"The thing is," James said softly, "I can't fix Lily if she gets torn."

"I decided to go to New York with Gwen tomorrow."

xXx

**AN** Sorry it took so long, my beta had some school things. Which for once, I didn't have. Snow days! And cold delays! I was very happy. Anyways, I spent sometime rereading my story, trying to get back in touch with my characters. Anyone notice a difference?

But thanks for all the reviews! They were amazing and totally cheered me up from my sickness. Sorry for the cliff hanger. It turns out I've forgotten how much I loved them. Leave me all your comments, complaints, and compliments and a review. (gotta love alliteration :)

**FishPonysRock**: Thanks. I hope James redeemed himself. And don't worry. Lily will be with James. Lol. Thanks for the review! **Sopleaza:** Thanks. So how does my story compare to the original? I totally understand about the standstill thing. I've started more stories than I can count. However, the only three have made it past first chapter. Yep, Chase is totally in love with Lily. Did you like his reaction? He's the poor guy that is always in love with the main girl but never had a chance of getting her. Lol. Thanks for the review. **TR** Yep, but I kinda like it too. Can't explain it tho. Can't answer your predictions yet. But I can tell you one of them was right. Lol. Thanks for the review! **Forkhead**: I put a couple of disclaimers up. Yeah, the plot is almost exactly like Hana Yori Dango cuz I'm basing it on that. I loved the story so much I'm trying to explore the emotions and motivations behind the characters' choices. Manga is great, but there is never the something more writing has. But thanks for the review! **Tazaloo**: I hope this satisfied your fears. Lol, that sounded weird. Thanks for the review! **Claire-Marie.** Lol. I don't know if I know how to end a fanfic after two chapters. I ramble too much. Lol. No worries, I'm a sucker for a traditional characters too. Hint hint. Thank you for all the compliments. Much appreciated. Thanks for the review!!!


	19. Leaving

**Leaving**

"We're alone," Lily stated the obvious. She squirmed, uncomfortable in the situation.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. He collapsed onto his bed, pulling Lily along with him.

"You're drunk," Lily said with a laugh.

Sirius nodded his head, agreeing with her again. He closed her mouth with a kiss.

"Sirius," Lily whispered when they were done kissing. "Thank you for saving me. Again."

Sirius twisted his body until he was laying with his head on the pillow. "At least I can save you," he whispered.

Lily heard him and sat upright, resting one hand on Sirius's stomach. Sirius grabbed it and pushed himself up with his free one. He stared into her into her eyes, not speaking for a moment.

"I finally figured out was James sees in you," he said. "I knew it once I saw you standing next to Gwen. You and Gwen, you were the only two people to ever stand up to him besides the four of us. You two were the only ones to ever hit him," he said with a smile, "and live to tell about it."

"I could really fall for you, Lily Evans," Sirius changed the topic abruptly. "You're probably perfect for me too. I never talked to anyone I hadn't known since I was a child. And then I met you and you drew me out of my cocoon." He smiled ironically. "I guess that makes me a butterfly now. And I do thank you. But the thing is, I think Remus was right. I think I was using you to replace Candice. I could save you, at least," he echoed his earlier words and once again Lily wondered what had really happened in Russia.

"Even if I was completely over Candice, though," Sirius continued. "The way James looked at you tonight, whenever I touched you, taunting him. That boy is totally in love with you. He wasn't lying. That boy would have moved the Heavens and the Earth for you. And, I'm so sorry, Lily, I just can't do that to a friend."

Lily stared at him, shocked. She didn't say anything for several moments, just sat there, biting her lip. "I don't regret it," she said finally. "I don't regret choosing you, because if I hadn't I would have wondered my entire life what if I. And I do love you, Sirius. Never doubt that."

"I know," Sirius said. He wrapped his arms around Lily as a tear ran down her cheek. "I know, Lils, and I'm so sorry."

The two stayed on his bed for the rest of the night. Sirius kept his arms wrapped around her until they both fell asleep.

* * *

James walked through the doorway without even a knock. In front of him, the servants huddled, confused as whether or not to throw the intruder out. Finally, one of the more burly butlers got brave.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir, and come back when the mistress is awake." His voice trembled slightly as he held out his wand.

James frowned and pulled out his own wand. The butler watched his wand get thrown into the wall, and five seconds later he followed it. James stuck his wand back into his robes, annoyed that he had to make the effort. "I guess I'll just have to wake her up," he muttered.

James knocked once on Gwen's door before opening it. "Morning," he said.

Gwen took one look at the smile on James's face and swished her wand. James found himself shoved out, with the door closing behind him. James was still laughing when Gwen finally came out. "Do you have a hangover, coz?"

Gwen groaned and rubbed her eyes. They were still groggy from sleep and her black hair was attempting to mimic James, shooting off in ever direction. "What do you want?" she mumbled.

His face suddenly lost all trace of mirth. "I decided to come to New York with you," James said. His tone was bleak and serious.

Gwen stumbled backwards a step before catching herself. "What!"

James nodded his head, assuring her that he had meant it.

"Why?"

"Does it matter?" James answered. He ran a hand through his hair, make it even more shabby. "I finally decided to do something that will please Mother."

Gwen gave James a deciding look. Her hung-over appearance disappeared as she straightened, evaluating the man standing before her.

"Okay, James. Just let me get dressed and I'll help you pack," She turned around and began walking back into her bedroom. She stopped with one hand on the door, just before she closed it. She turned back to face James, catching his gaze. "James, for the first time in a long time, I'm really proud of you. Maybe you actually will escape the Potter genes." She shut the door on James's confused face.

* * *

"James, James Potter," Professor Justin Cooper called. He looked around the room as if James might suddenly appear.

"Not here," Peter finally replied to shut Justin up.

Lily jerked her head up, surprised. It wasn't like it was unusual for the Marauders to skip class; the perpetrator in question just never did it alone.

"May I inquire why?" Justin asked, his voice holding a hint of sarcasm.

"Nope," Peter answered.

Remus laughed and finally joined the conversation. "You can inquire all you want," he corrected Peter, "but it doesn't mean we're going to tell you."

Sirius heard something in Remus's tone and looked over at him. Remus scribbled something on a piece of paper before going back to doodling. Cooper sighed and went back to taking attendance.

Lily watched Sirius read the note, and she watched as the sides of his mouth fell, just a little, but Sirius frowned.

Lily bided her time, waiting until class was over and then she was the first one out the door.

"Where's James," she asked Remus. Peter leaned against the door, crossing his arms as he waited for the scene to play out.

"You care?" Remus arched an eyebrow. Sirius stole out from behind him and stood towards the center of the hallway, a noncommittal place.

"Tell me," Lily demanded with her usual bluntness.

Remus opened his mouth-

"He's at Gwen's," Sirius spoke up. He looked up, the long, black hair falling out of his eyes.

Lily nodded and took off towards Hogsmeade.

Remus watched her go with a quizzical expression on his face. "What's going on between you two?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to answer the question.

"James is moving then?"

Peter snorted. "I doubt he'll last one week in New York."

"Three days," Remus said immediately.

"One day," Sirius said, closing the bet. "One hundred galleons." He said it in a very flat tone, very confident. He took his hands out of his pockets and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"What do you know?" Remus wondered out loud.

"You were right, Moony. You always are. I couldn't do that to a friend."

A matching smile grew on Peter and Remus's face. "What happened?" Remus repeated the question. "And when are you going to tell James?"

Sirius began walking down the corridor, the others following him. They fell back into an old pattern, minus one. For that moment, they were the Marauders again, inseparable, with James and Sirius as their leader. Sirius pulled at the collar around his neck. "I'm waiting for the perfect moment. After all, James was just getting over himself. I wouldn't want to ruin that."

Remus laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're back, Sirius."

Sirius allowed himself a real smile. "Yeah, I am too."

* * *

Chase caught up to Lily just as she was stepping through the doors. "Where are you going?" he asked, falling into step next to her.

"Gwen's," Lily answered curtly. She reached up to pull her hair into a ponytail.

"Why?" Chase tried to get her to elaborate.

"To ask James why he wasn't in class today," Lily answered.

"Why?" Chase repeated yet again.

"Because he wasn't in class today," Lily answered him in a condescending tone.

Chase shook his head. After all these years, he still didn't quite understand Lily Evans. "How was class?" he asked, changing the subject.

Lily grimaced.

"How was last night?"

"Chase!" Lily reprimanded him with her tone.

Chase blushed up to the roots of his curly brown hair. Lily was soon laughing too hard to be mad. "I was just trying to make conversation," Chase quickly explained.

Lily shook her head slightly. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Chase nodded immediately. "Of course, Lils. That's what I'm here for."

Lily slowed her pace slightly as she looked at Chase, judging his face. She saw the friend she had known for forever. "Nothing happened."

A big grin covered Chase's face before he could hide it.

"He said he couldn't do that to James," Lily continued, choosing to ignore the grin. She bit her lip as she thought about what to say next. "He said that James was really in love with me and that he, Sirius, just couldn't do that to a friend." Lily stopped completely on the road and turned to face Chase. It was almost as if she was rationalizing her decision. "I just thought, that if James could inspire that deep of devotion…," she stopped, not sure what to say next. "Maybe James is a better guy than he pretends to be."

"He saved me too," Lily whispered the last sentence too quiet for Chase to hear.

Chase cursed inwardly. "So you aren't with Sirius?" he tried to clear up his confusion as they continued walking.

Lily shook her head.

"Do you want to be with James?" _No _Chase thought _please say no. _

Lily's eyes got big. "I don't know. I'm still in love with Sirius. Crazy, I know. I mean, he's still so deeply in love with Candice that I'm not sure he can even love another girl at this point. But still…"

They walked in silence as Chase tried to think of something to say next. "You sound like you've thought about this a lot."

Lily stared at the dirt path in front of her. "Yeah," she answered vaguely. "I don't know. I just want to talk to James. I have to know if he hates me. After all he forfeited the game." They walked in a silence for a few steps until Lily stopped and laughed all of a sudden. "God, I sound like one of those stupid, selfish, lovesick girls. The ones that we always made fun of."

"No," Chase protested.

"Tell the truth."

Chase reluctantly nodded his head and Lily laughed again. "I think its something in the water here. Sooner or later you'll go crazy too."

The horrified look on Chase's face had Lily laughing again. When she stopped, she held up her fist. "Friends through all this garbage?"

Chase smiled and hit his fist against hers. "The best," he agreed. Suddenly he started laughing and looked over at Lily. "You remember that time that Zack tried to bully me."

Lily gasped and covered her hand with her mouth. "Oh my god, I had forgotten about that."

Chase tried to talk through his laughter. "You walked up to him and yelled."

Lily attempted to finish the story. "And" laugh "he wouldn't," laugh "back down."

"So you slammed him," Chase finished, regaining some control, "knocked him out in one punch."

"God, he tried to have me expelled the next week." Lily recalled.

"So I finally yelled," Chase said. He looked fondly at Lily, ruffling her hair. She ducked and tried to escape. "You were so good at saving people. But the best part was you finally got me to stand up for myself. Don't let this place, these people change you, ok? Promise?"

"Promise," Lily answered, semi-seriously.

"Then this is where I leave you," Chase said. He deposited Lily at Gwen's doorstep.

"You don't want to come in?"

Chase shook his head. "No thanks." _I don't think I could take it. _He turned around and walked back down the path, assuming Lily could walk herself back.

Lily took a deep breath and contemplated the door in front of her. She still had no idea what she was going to say. Then she remembered the story Chase had told her. She remembered the person she had been when this entire thing started. She raised her hand and knocked on the door.

* * *

James heard the knock at the door and looked around for the butler. He remembered that he was in the other room, helping Gwen pack the rest of his stuff. James sighed and got off the couch. Who would be knocking? The rest of the Marauders would let themselves in and no one else had any reason to visit. He hoped it wasn't someone trying to talk about the business.

He opened the door and froze. "Lily?"

Lily blushed immediately. The color clashed with her hair. "James," she answered him stupidly. "Can I come in?"

James didn't move. His shoulders filled the doorway. "Why did you come?" he asked. His voice wasn't angry exactly. Or at least it wasn't as full of rage as it was the night before.

"You weren't in class today," Lily replied. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

James couldn't process what she was thinking. He had just kept running the previous night over and over again in his mind. _"Lily and Sirius are in there." _Lily was with Sirius that was all that mattered now. She hadn't chosen him. "I'm moving," James said simply.

"What!" Lily blurted.

"I'm moving to New York for business purposes," James elaborated. There was no emotion. He was simply stating a fact.

Lily tried to process it and failed. After all they had been through, and he was just leaving. No explanation or anything. She didn't think that James still thought she was still with Sirius. Her mind was spinning too much to rationalize the thought. James was leaving. He had promised to protect her and he was leaving.

Lily turned around and stormed out. She couldn't speak, much less piece together an entire sentence. James was leaving. Fine, what did she care?

James closed the door gently behind Lily, still slightly in shock. Why had Lily reacted like that? Why did she care?

"Who was that?" Gwen called from the other room. She came out holding two ties. She held them both up to James. He pointed to the striped one in her left hand.

"No one," James replied.

Gwen didn't push it. She walked out, leaving James alone with his thoughts.

James slowly, carefully sat down on the couch. He was growing angrier the longer he thought about it. What right did Lily have to care? Why did she get to make him feel bad about leaving? She chose Sirius. He owed her nothing. He didn't get to protect her anymore. She had chosen Sirius to do that.

"Excuse me, sir?" a butler said hesitantly. It was the same one James had thrown into a wall earlier that day. "When would you like lunch?"

James growled at the butler. "What makes you think I would be eating whatever pathetic food the cook can offer?" he asked nastily.

* * *

"You're actually leaving," Remus commented in awe out loud.

"I'm actually leaving," James repeated back, only half-mocking.

Remus clapped his friend on the back. "Now I got money on you coming back in more than one day and less than three. Don't disappoint."

One half of James's mouth went up in a small smile. "Sorry, Moony, but you're going to have to be wrong for the first time in your life. I'm not coming back for at least a year. My mother wants me to take over part of the business as training."

"And since when has James Potter listened to anything his mother said?" Peter joked.

"That'll be the day," Sirius said quietly. He stepped through the door, knocking softly on it as he came through. The other two Marauders walked out with an excuse that they had to say good-bye to Gwen.

"Why are you here?" James asked. The second time he had asked that question today.

Sirius stepped closer to James. "I didn't believe you at first, you realize that? I thought Lily was just another one of your spoiled obsessions. I thought you would forget about her the moment you had her."

James felt his temper rising. "What is the point of this?" he asked, his voice rising in volume.

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture he had drawn. James unfolded. It was Lily, her face contorted in another. She was yelling at someone with her hair blowing in the wind. Another picture fell to the ground as he opened the first one. James bent down to pick it. It was one of Lily dancing. Her arms were spread and her features were absolutely content. She was beautiful. She was _so_ beautiful.

"Nothing happened," Sirius said softly as James stared into the second picture. "I couldn't do it. I don't think she could have either. You're my best friend, Prongs. I couldn't do that to you."

James stared at the picture for a few more seconds, taking in the words. Finally, he started laughing manically. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked, his voice close to sounding insane.

"I wanted to make sure you deserved her," Sirius answered seriously. "Lily is special, James. You can't give her up after you get her. It doesn't work like that in real life."

James looked like he was close to killing Sirius.

"We're leaving," Gwen said. She stepped up next to James and offered him a pouch of floo powder. "And don't even thinking about staying. I promised your mother you would be there, whether I had to stun you to get you there. You are at least going for a week. I will do it." James knew she would.

James rubbed his thumb over the second picture and looked at the floo powder, then back at Sirius. Finally, he folded the pictures and stuck them in his pocket. He thought of Lily's face; how she stormed away from him. James remembered her choosing Sirius. He stepped into the fireplace.

He looked back at Sirius. "Thank you," he mouthed. Sirius inclined his head.

"Potter Place, New York."

There was a flash and he was gone.

* * *

**AN**

Hope everyone liked it. LilySirius is done. Lol. Tell me you thoughts as always. And before you kill me, this is still a LILYJAMES fic, I swear. They will get back together soon.

And i had a favor to ask. I'm writing a LilyJames canon fic. I wanted to write one where James and Sirius got to be best friends. And I wanted Sirius to be funny. And I wanted them to play pranks and float through school as the Marauders, inseperable for real. Which, i obviously couldn't do in this story. Anyways, i probably won't post it for a while and i'm only done with the first chapter. But is anyone willing to be my Beta? Help me with what I have so far and tell me if I'm going off on a wrong tanget, writing not in character, etc?

Thanks for the amazing amount of reviews. You guys are truly the reason why this fic lasted so long.

**sheri:** lol, i hoped this kind of made it better. Sirius is out of the picture? Thanks, as always, for the review. **sopleaza:** okay, i replied to your review then realized i wasn't done writing. Hope you noticed this one. Tell me if you did? I'm not sure if I'll write the part w/ the kidnapping. Which kidnapping do you mean? There were different between HYD and Meteor Garden. Anyways, congratulations on getting an account. What prompted that? **humanbeing **Sorry, James left. But i hope the end of SiriusLily kind of made up for it? Thanks for the review! **Tazloo **Hope you liked the update. I don't think it was as drawing, but it ended LilySirius. Lol. Thanks for the review! **Melissa and the Marauders **wow, at 80,000 words, you must have dedicated a lot of time to read it almost non stop. I'm impressed! That was def not the ending! and LilySirius is done. I swear. For now. Lol. I'm not sure if Candice will come back though. I haven't decided. I think she'll appear briefly. Thanks for the review!


	20. Separation

This chapter goes out to **tothenines.** She sent me the best PM ever. It cracked me up and really made me feel good. I was smiling for days afterwards. So this is her award and reward for being (or for appearing) the most obsessed person with Ruling You.

xXx

**Separation**

_He's really gone. _

_That idiot is finally out of here. _

_James Potter is in New York. _

_How did New York get so lucky?_

_What guy are we going to lust after now? _

_He'll be back. _

_Where's the entertainment now?_

_Does this mean there is a new opening in the Marauders? _

_The Quidditch team is going to loose. _

_I can't believe he left. _

Everyone had their own thoughts on James Potter's disappearance. Remus and Peter had even opened up a betting business. The minimum was thirty galleons.

xXx

James stared at the wall of his hotel room. He adjusted the pillow he was leaning on. Then he stared at the wall again. Then he opened a file, flicking roughly through it for a few minutes. Then he threw it back onto the nightstand and stared at the wall again. Finally, he growled and stood up. Muttering under his breath, he threw the door open.

Gwen was standing directly outside it. Her hand poised, ready to knock.

"What?" James growled.

"Cranky," Gwen answered, pursing her lips. She debated about whether or not to lecture him on being polite to a lady. Wasted effort, she eventually decided. "Do you want to go somewhere?" she asked her original question.

"Where?" James asked warily. He thought of the meeting he had to endure when they first arrived. Four hours with men three times his age talking about the business with his mother staring at him the entire time. Pure torture.

"See the sights," Gwen said enthusiastically. She held up a pamphlet with Times Square on the front.

James gave her an insulting look. "Been here five times in the last six years alone. Why would I go sight-seeing again?" He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in an arrogant gesture.

Gwen frowned and hit him on the arm. James didn't react. "I was just trying to get you out of your hotel room. What have you been doing for the past hour?" she inquired icily.

James shrugged his shoulders, not about to admit the answer. "Why don't you just go back to Chicago to live with your husband if I'm being such an ingrate?" he said in retaliation.

"'Cause your mother made me swear to look after you a few days and ensure you don't go running back to Hogwarts," Gwen shot back. She shifted her weight and stared James in the eyes.

James ducked his head and swore. "Seriously!"

Gwen laughed at the expression on James's face and nodded. He looked like he was ready to kill someone.

James muttered and pulled the door closed. "Let's go," he answered. Two men came out of the room next to him and stood quietly behind him.

Gwen laughed, a light, tinkling noise. "The great James Potter is being protected by bodyguards again."

James scowled in reply. "My mother insisted on protecting me from the Muggle world," he scoffed. He took a step forward and so did the bodyguards. Each of them cleared six foot six, taller than James which was something of an accomplishment. Their walk was lean and cat-like. With their short hair and street clothes they would blend right in among New York City residents. However, knowing Mrs. Potter as she did, Gwen guessed they had been training in martial arts since birth. The way they held their faces perfectly serene as James insulted them confirmed her suspicions.

"You have a meeting in two hours, sir," the blond one said respectfully. He stood straight, his shoulders square.

James groaned. He took the PDA the bodyguard offered him with the reminder and threw it on the ground. He stomped on it once with his heel before turning to face Gwen. They walked a little down the hallway. "Anything we can do in less than two hours?" James asked like the scene hadn't just happened.

"Lunch?" Gwen offered. They walked down the hotel hallway, looking like the perfect blue-blood couple.

xXx

Lily wandered down the hall, reading her transfiguration notes as she walked. Her head was down as she tried to understand the nonsense notes she had copied.

"Hey stranger," a voice said from behind her.

Lily turned around with a start, dropping the papers to the ground. They scattered everywhere.

Remus laughed as Lily bent over to pick them up. Lily shot him a dirty look as she stood. "What do you want?" Lily asked, her voice tinted with accusation.

Remus held his hands up in the universal symbol of peace. "Calm down," he chuckled. "I just wanted to see how you were doing." He fell into step next to her as Lily shoved the papers into her bag.

"I'm fine," Lily answered. She pushed her hair out of her face, turning her head to avoid Remus's eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?" She silently dared him to say what he was he was thinking.

Remus shrugged, taking the easy way. "I've taken over four hundred galleons in two days," he said, seemingly randomly. He said it with his standard care free smile. His hands were in his pockets as he spoke; the perfect casual comment.

Lily's face went from defensive to confused. "What?"

"In bets," Remus elaborated. "Everyone seems to think that James won't be coming back for at least two months." He took his hands out of his pockets, betraying a hint of how interested he was.

Lily tried to pretend it didn't bother her. The two walked in silence for a few minutes. Remus wasn't going to bail her out of this situation. He wanted to hear what she had to say. Finally, Lily reacted as he had expected her to. "Why do I care? He moved for business purposes, right? So he won't be back until he does whatever it is he has to do."

Remus shook his head. He decided it wasn't his problem to mess with. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, her interested piqued by the way he had said it. Had he walked with her strictly to evaluate her reaction to the fact James might not be returning for a while.

Remus turned his head back to face her as he walked with a smirk on his face. "Got a date with a girl," he said. He strolled a few more meters before he stopped and added, almost as an afterthought, "We all have our best placed within the next few days." Then he continued ambling down the hallway, acting like he hadn't just said something. He began whistling a cheery tune as he walked.

Lily shook her head as she watched him go, her lips turned upwards in amusement. It always puzzled her how the most insightful of the Marauders also happened to one of Hogwarts' biggest playboys.

xXx

"With the market in its current recession, I believe we have no other option but to close down the company and cut our losses," the man at the front of the room concluded. His lapels were stained with sweat, and as everyone watched, he patted his forehead dry with a handkerchief. It was obvious that he was a simply flunky, not used to having to talk in front of people who actually mattered. How funny, James mused, that his superior should be absent today of all days.

The man looked around at the others in front of him before concentrating his gaze on James. James simply stared back, letting him worry. After a few minutes the man spoke again. "Mr. Potter?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly. He leaned back as he said it, trying to get distance between him and the CEO's son who was said to get violent over the littlest things.

James leaned forward in his chair; tapping his pen against the business plan he had been provided. "Let me get this straight. You want me to close three plants total across the United States and one in London. Hundreds of people will be out of jobs. And the only reason is because the demand is dropping."

The man sweated some more, but he was too scared to wipe it off. One bead rolled down his face into his double chin. "Sir, the decrease in demand is quite severe and will not be rising anytime soon," he stuttered the sentence out.

James flipped the book open and glanced over the figures. "Fine," he answered.

"Fine?" the man repeated back. He looked at James stupidly, not believing it was going to be this simple.

James stood up, shoving his chair backwards. "Yes, fine. In some languages, including the one we're speaking now, it means yes, okay, affirmative, or do it. Close the plants." He turned to face the rest of the men at the table, stunned by the fact he had just made a vital business decision after hearing a short, half hour speech and not asking anyone else's opinion. "Gentlemen, I believe we're done here," James said curtly. He strode out the door, loosening his tie as soon as the doors closed behind him.

xXx

Lily sat quietly at the table, shredding her toast into pieces. Her short, red hair was disheveled and her eyes still held the dazed sleepy look. She was not so much a morning person. Unfortunately, the rest of her friends were.

"How did you sleep?" Chase asked. His was almost bouncing in his chair. Lily resisted the urge to strangle him. Instead, she nodded her head, a noncommittal answer. Chase took it as a yes, and began to ramble about a strange dream he had had.

He had reached the part about giant llamas eating him when the Marauders reached the table.

Remus pushed Chase's head forward before sitting down and calmly grabbing a muffin. Peter sat across from Lily and just stared at the table.

"Hey," Sirius said quietly, snagging the seat next to Lily. He grabbed a piece of toast and began to eat it lazily. Only Sirius could look disinterested while eating.

Lily nodded at him in return. Sirius's hair was slightly in his eyes, making him look even more innocent. She started to reply but the flap of wings made it too loud to talk. Instead, she went back to shredding her breakfast.

A letter suddenly hit a piece of Lily's toast, sending it flying. It hit the floor with a light thud as Lily unfolded the letter. The words were splattered across the page, as if someone wrote it in a hurry. Lily's breath caught in her throat as she read the first few lines.

_Dear Lily, _

_There's really no easy way to tell you this so I'm just going to come out and say it:_

_Your idiot father lost his job. Instead of coming home and telling me like a man, he went to the racetracks and bet on the horses. And he lost. And lost. And lost. _

_Lily, we had to sell to pay off the loan sharks. But it wasn't enough. We still owe them around 100 thousand Euros. We're living in a one room flat. I got a job at a local restaurant, but it's not going to be enough. I'm scared. Your father isn't doing anything. He is just sitting in our apartment, staring at the wall. I've yelled at him to get a job, but he just sits there. The loan sharks threatened to kill him. You know how your father is; he isn't a fighter. The threats shut him down._

_I just thought you should know. _

_Love you always, even if your father is an idiot,_

_Mom _

Lily's face had paled to a sickly white by the time she read the last words. Her hands were shaking so hard that she dropped the parchment on her plate.

Chase peered at her from across the table. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern saturating his voice. He stopped talking to study her face.

Lily stared at her hands, trying to get them to stop shaking. She closed her eyes finally, thinking. She couldn't get the words out of her brain. They were permanently seared into her memory. How could she save her family? It wasn't like she had an extra hundred thousand lying around.

"Lily!" Chase said for the third time.

Lily opened her eyes, startled. She hadn't heard him calling her name. "What?" she whispered. She didn't trust herself to speak louder than a whisper. Her voice would crack.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked. He reached a hand across to feel her forehead.

Next to her, Sirius finally looked over. He tilted his head slightly, putting together what had just happened. His eyes flicked down to read the letter Lily had abandoned.

Lily nodded, not wanting to admit to anything. She forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah," she said, slightly louder, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Chase asked. "You don't look fine. Should I take you to the nurse?" He dropped his fork to his plate with a clang.

Lily shook her head. Hair flew into her face; she hated it short. Before Chase could insist, she stood up from the table. "I'm just going to go lay down for a few minutes." Lily walked swiftly away from the table, ignoring the Chase's last question.

Sirius watched her go, ignoring Chase's babble. That boy was an idiot if he couldn't connect Lily's attitude with the letter she had just read. He waited a few seconds before grabbing the letter that she had discarded. When he reached the end he stood, crumbling the letter.

"Where are you going?" Remus asked, looking up from the girl that was sitting on his lap. She giggled annoyingly and kissed Remus on the neck.

One of Sirius's hands came up to sweep the hair out of his eyes. "For a walk," he answered calmly. He shoved the letter into his pocket as he walked.

xXx

James's eyes flashed as he tapped his knife against the table. "How long can a simple steak take to cook?" he complained.

Gwen reached a hand out to still James's. "Relax. What has you so worked up?"

James shook her hand off with an irritated gesture. He took a long drink of his wine before setting it back down on the table. His other hand pulled at the tie around his neck.

"Who had the steak?" the waiter asked. Gwen pointed at James. The waiter paused for a second before setting it down. A salad appeared in front of Gwen a second later. James cut his steak, preparing to take a bite. The waiters still hadn't left. "We're fine," James said pointedly.

"Yes, sir," the burlier waiter answered. They didn't move from their spot.

"What do you want?" Gwen asked, finally getting annoyed.

"We have to know," the skinnier waiter said, "are you really _the_ James Potter?"

"The one that punched out three guys last week?" the burlier one added. A stupid, excited grin was on his face now. The tabloid that he had read it in was still at his house.

He had no idea how close he was to getting punched out.

"Yep," James answered, anger creeping into his voice. "I'm that James Potter." He said it with a threat. The hand closest to them curled into a fist.

The waiters got the message. They backed away slowly. When they were about ten feet away Gwen heard the burly one whisper, "I bet the only reason he got away with it is because he's rich. Spoiled brat."

She decided not to mention it to him.

xXx

Lily paced back and forth in the Owlery. Around her, the owls screeched at the foreign presence. With each step, she agonized over her decision. She played with her hair, just to have something to do with her hands. She wanted to curse her dad. Why did she always have to be the one saving her parents? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

"Hey," a voice called.

Lily composed herself before turning around. She assumed the voice belong to another Hogwarts student who wanted to write a letter. She took a step back when she saw who it was. "Hey," she finally replied.

Sirius took a step closer to Lily. He pulled out the letter, offering it to her.

Wordlessly, Lily stretched her hand out to take it. "You read it." It wasn't a question.

Sirius inclined his head, showing no emotion.

Lily assumed he thought the worst. She began to pace back and forth again. "Yeah, my family members are stupid commoners. I know," Lily ranted. She repeated back the comments that had been used against her. Her pace got faster and faster. "Because only Muggles would be dumb enough to borrow from a loan shark. And only commoners would be idiotic enough to bet the money and lose it all."

"Lily," Sirius finally said. He grabbed her; his arms pinning hers. "Calm down."

Lily wiggled, trying to get out of his grasp. Sirius just held her, letting her squirm. They stood like that for several minutes. Finally, Lily relaxed, loosening her muscles.

A small grin appeared on Sirius's face. "Better?"

Lily nodded reluctantly. She took a few deep breaths.

Sirius let go of her and leaned against a post. "So what are you going to do?" he asked, studying her face. He crossed his arms across his chest.

Lily began to walk again, but this time slowly, her pace measured and even. She had regained some of her composure. "I don't know."

"I could get you the money," Sirius offered. To him it was just one thousand Euros.

Lily stopped in her tracks. One thousands Euros. To him it was just pocket change. But for her…

"Seriously?" she asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Why not? Its just money. And life is more interesting with you around, Lily Evans."

Lily stared at him, not knowing what to say. Her eyes widened as she considered it.

Finally, she shook her head. "No, I couldn't pay you back right away. It would be awkward. I couldn't accept a favor that big from a friend. Thank you, though," she added, remembering her manners. One thousand Euros was too much money too borrow from someone who was just a friend and Sirius had made it clear that they were _just _friends. The truth was, she would probably never be able to pay him back. And Sirius had already saved her. She couldn't ask him to do it again.

Sirius gazed into her eyes, thinking for a minute. He considered what he knew about Lily Evans. He pushed himself off the post. "Well," he drawled. "I do know someone else who would be happy to lend you the money. He certainly has it to spare. And Lily, I think he more than owes it to you by now." He stopped by the exit and turned his head to face Lily. "Think about it, okay?" He walked out, leaving his words to hang in the air.

Lily stared at the spot Sirius had just vacated. Asking James for the money…She had considered it. But the way they had left things. He had screamed at her to leave her alone. Then he had left for New York. Would James even read any letter that she sent?

Lily curled her hand into a fist, and then heard the crunch of a piece of parchment. The letter was still in her hand. She smoothed it out and a few words jumped out at her.

_The loan sharks threatened to kill him_

Lily grabbed a quill and began to write:

_Dear James, _

xXx

I'm so sorry I haven't update in forever. Actually I wrote the next chapter like five times but kept going back and deleting it. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but its way better than the first few versions. and best of all, its done. So I hope you guys enjoyed it! And please go check out my other fic. Untouchables. It takes place just after they've graduated and will focus on everyone, not just Lily and James.

**Sopleaza**: Yeah, it all takes place in their seventh year. Thanks for the review! **MorriñaLusa: **Please don't kill me since Sirius didn't win, but I hope you are happy with the way I resolved it. Thanks for the review! **Sheri**: Sorry! For how long it took me to update. The original versions were just so bad. I think I had the type of writer's block where everything I write turns to horrible. Lol. Thanks for the review! **FishPonysRock: **Yeah, I think everyone likes LilyJames. Lol. Thanks for the review!

I want to thank everyone for the amazing amount of reviews. 52. Wow. That is just incredible. I truly owe you guys for inspiring me to finish this. Every review means something to me. I love them all. So thank you. You're the reason I write.


	21. Completely and Totally Obsessed With You

**Completely and Totally Obsessed With You.**

_Dear James, _

_I wouldn't be writing this letter unless I had to. I need you help. _

_Dear James, _

_I'm sorry. _

_Dear James, _

_My family is broke, and since you always have so much money. _

_  
Dear James, _

_I need your help. _

_  
Dear James, _

Frustrated, Lily threw down her quill. The blank parchment stared at her, taunting her. How could she ask James for help? The last time they had talked, she had just stormed out, not even bothering to tell him she was leaving. Unless Sirius had explained things, James still thought that she was dating his best friend. Or maybe ex-best friend. And if Sirius had explained things…why hadn't James come back to her? He had said that, when they were in the hospital wing after the other students had hexed her. "_I came back to you."_ He had always waited for her, not matter what she had done. And now, he hadn't come back. Did that mean he had given up on her?

James had told her to leave him alone, but it was only just now that Lily believed him.

She stared at the half-written letters in front of her. The words swam, running together in her mind. _Sorry. Broke. Money. Help. Help. Help. _That's what it came down to: she needed his help and he had no reason to give her any. After what she had done to him, he must despise her and she couldn't blame him. She could ask Chase…maybe. But, as she had told Sirius, one hundred thousand Euros was too much for her to ask for from a friend. James may hate her, but the two of them had never been just friends. They had always been less, or more.

Lily sat there for another ten minutes, just staring at the letters. She didn't move; she simply sat and let all the possibilities run through her mind. In the end, she came up with exactly nothing.

Sighing, Lily dropped her quill to the ground and stood up, crushing it beneath her feet. She would get a job in the Muggle world. She was seventeen now; she couldn't be penalized if she used magic to make herself a background that would make her eligible for the type of job she needed. If James was willing to help her, he never would have left.

xXx

From a secluded corner, Sirius watched Lily walk out of the owlery. He turned his head automatically to watch the sky. He waited several minutes, expecting to see an owl to break up the monotony of blue. A smile played at his lips when one failed to appear. Even with her dad in mortal danger, Lily Evans was still Lily Evans.

Sirius casually pushed himself off the wall and walked into the now-empty owlery. He bent down and picked up the quill that lay broken on the floor. Whistling, he dipped it into the ink Lily had also left abandoned.

_Dear James, _

_This is your present-the thing I need to do to redeem myself in your eyes. Lily's family is in debt, the serious type. He dad owes one hundred thousand Euros to a loan shark. He'll kill her dad if he can't pay. Lily won't accept money from me; she says it is too big of a loan from someone who is _just_ a friend. And I think it was clear to all of us that whatever you guys were, you weren't friends. She tried to write you, but she couldn't._

_Come back, James. Save her, because I'm not sure she can save herself. _

_Padfoot_

He walked over to the fireplace and pulled some floo powder out of his pocket. He threw it in first, the letter following closely.

" Potter Place , New York ."

xXx

James played with fork, twisting it around and around. The girl sitting across from him began to stutter as she realized exactly how little attention to her he was paying. Her mom had pulled so many strings to get her a date with the heir to the Potter fortune. "So you play Quidditch?" she asked, trying to engage him in a conversation.

James didn't look up from his plate. "Yeah," he answered, obviously bored with the question. "Catcher."

The girl began to play with her hair, twirling it around one finger. She glanced from left to right, panicking. It had already been fifteen minutes and James hadn't spoken more than three words in a row.

"Why did you even come?"

James jerked his head up. Those words sounded so like Lily: the tone, the insolence. He looked around, expecting to see her tell-tale red hair in the crowd. Instead, he just saw the girl in front of him, waiting for an answer. He deflated a little as he tried to remember her name. Julie, Julia, Joanne?

"Look, Jenny-"

"Clare," the girl corrected him.

"Clare," James nodded his head, vaguely remembering. "I came become my mom badgered me until I agreed. She thinks the two of us dating would bring our two empires together. Your family has something she wants. Simple as that. And you have proven to be such an exceptionally boring dining partner that I'm sure your parent's money will eventually be necessary to secure you a husband."

The girl, Clare, sat shell-shock, stunned by James's sudden burst of cruel eloquence. James stood up and dropped his napkin onto his chair. He casually pulled out a hundred dollar bill to pay for their drinks-he hadn't waited until dinner had been served to insult Clare.

As he turned to leave, Clare suddenly spoke. "Good luck finding a girl who is willing to put up with you James Potter."

Again that line was so Lily that James had to resist scanning the crowd to look for her. He turned around to face Clare again. "You should have been this interesting from the start, Clare."

The girl in front of him suddenly wilted back into the person she had been under the full gaze of James Potter. She sat there, fingering her napkin. Something about being around him made her unable to sit still.

James laughed. He walked away from her still chuckling. Maybe his mom was right: a nice, rich girl could be entertaining. Certainly less pig-headed.

xXx

Lily spent the rest of the day avoiding her friends. She was incapable of dealing with anyone at the moment. She didn't trust herself not to blurt out all of her problems and beg for help. The trees and solitude provided some measure of comfort. She weighed her options in her head. No part-time job was going to make anywhere near the amount of money that she needed. It wasn't like she had a lot of options.

Lily spent a few more hours wondering around Hogwarts, saying good-bye to her favorite places. It was going to be hard to give up her home.

xXx

"This came for you sir," the butler said. He held out a piece of parchment smudged with ashes.

James shook his head. "Put it with all the other business mail. I'll get to it tonight."

"This isn't business related, sir," the butler informed him somewhat snootily.

James tilted his head in question, reaching out to take the letter. He scanned it quickly then sat down to read it properly. His mouth was hanging open by the time he reached the second line.

"I knew it," James said.

"Knew what, sir?" the butler asked.

James dropped the letter to the floor and began to walk to his room. "That she needs me to save her," he said over his shoulder.

The butler bent down to pick up the letter, utterly confused.

xXx

Lily patted the tree and stood up, brushing the grass off her robe. She had decided. She could always come back to school, but her family needed her help now.

Her first step back towards the castle was decidedly slower than a normal one.

xXx

"Where are you going?" Gwen asked. She watched James run around his room, grabbing various items.

James opened his wallet and flipped through it. He threw it back down and opened the safe, taking some bills out of it. "Hogwarts," James answered.

Gwen titled her head, her long black hair sliding to cover part of her face. "Four days?" she asked, her mouth twisting into a grin. "You could only last four days?"

James patted his pockets, looking for the letter, before realizing that he had dropped it back in the hall. "Lily is in trouble," he answered.

Gwen leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms. She contemplated James as he threw the last of his stuff into his bag. She waited until he was ready to go before she spoke. "So you're going to save her? Why?" Remus had told her that Sirius had broken up with Lily. What he hadn't told her was why.

James looked at his watch. It would six thirty at Hogwarts by now. James grabbed a handful of floo powder and turned back one last time. "Because," he answered, "I said I would come back to her."

He threw the powder into the fireplace and a second later he was gone.

xXx

Lily stopped by her dormitory first, to throw a few things into a bag. After she told Dumbledore, she didn't want to have to hang around. It would be far too painful. She finished packing in five minutes. She didn't have much to pack. She gave her room one last look before leaving it for the last time. Her watch ticked loudly. Seven o' clock.

The walk to Dumbledore's office was easy. It was telling him that was the hard part.

"I'm afraid I have no choice but to resign, Professor," Lily said, trying to keep her gaze level as she ended her explanation. Her hands shook slightly.

"I am so sorry Miss-" Dumbledore stopped suddenly, staring at something behind Lily. "Mr. Potter?" he asked.

"James!?" Lily almost shrieked, turning completely to face him.

A small smirk played on the teenager's face. His six foot plus frame took up the entire doorway as he shook his head to get rid of some of the excess water.

"Mr. Potter, as delightful and unsurprising it is to have you back, I must ask that you wait outside my office," Dumbledore said in an even tone devoid of shock.

James inclined his head slightly. "With all due respect Professor, I think that Lily is done. I would like to help carry her things back to her room."

Lily's facial features instantaneously turned from shock to anger. "What right do you have to say whether I am done or not?" Her hands were quite steady as she glared at him.

James stepped further into the room, causing Lily to take a few steps back. He handed her a slip of paper as he addressed Dumbledore.

Lily blocked out what he was saying as she unfolded the paper.

_The debt of One Hundred Thousand Euros of S. Evans is paid in full. _

James's arms caught Lily as she fell.

xXx

"Why did you do it?" Lily asked James. They were walking back to the Gryffindor common room. As James had said he would, he was carrying her things back to her room.

James laughed. "Why wouldn't I? It was only one hundred thousand euros. That's petty cash. My outfit is worth more than that."

Lily took a few seconds to evaluate what he was wearing. Dark blue jeans, with a black, button-down t-shirt, and a diamond stud in one ear obscured by his messy hair. He had paid one hundred grand for that?

James laughed again when he realized what she was doing. "Just because you don't care what you look like, doesn't mean others can't."

Lily flushed red again, only in half anger. "I'm going to pay you back, you know." She grabbed her bag away from James.

James shrugged. "How?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Lily hadn't quite gotten that far in her thought process. "Eventually. After we graduate. This is only a loan." She didn't relax her intense look.

James shrugged again, not really caring. Then something occurred to him. "I do know one way you could raise that money."

Lily scowled at him. "I am not going to do anything dirty for the money. Just because I'm not rich, doesn't mean I don't have morals."

James laughed condescendingly. "Not that way, Lily. But it's interesting that that's the first thing you thought of. I meant the Miss Witch contest?"

Lily gave him a blank look.

"It's a contest between witches from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts." James explained. He took a long look at her. "I mean, you wouldn't have a chance, obviously," Lily glared at him, "but it would make you feel better."

Lily straightened her shoulders and stood up slightly. "So what would I have to do?"

James held up his fingers and began ticking things off, becoming smugger and smugger as he went. "Learn Latin, etiquette, poise, fashion, etc. Candice was the last winner several years ago. My cousin won before that." He smiled.

Lily shook her heard. "I'll think about it," she finally answered him. Inside, she scoffed. What was there to think about. She would have to repay him some other way. She couldn't compete against the people here who had been training in stuff like that since they were born.

They walked in silence for a little while after that. James stared straight ahead, but Lily occasionally snuck glances at him. For once, he actually seemed serene. Or at least, he wasn't yelling at her. His black hair still stuck up exactly the same way she remembered.

"Seriously, James. After what I did to you, why did you save me?" The again went unspoken. Her eyes got a little wider as she waited for his answer.

James stopped and dropped her bag to the ground. He leaned against the wall and stared down at her. Lily felt tiny in comparison. James reached up to ruffle his hair even further. "'Cause you're stupid," James finally answered bluntly.

Lily's mouth dropped open. It wasn't the answer that she had been expecting. It probably should have been though. "What!?" she practically yelled.

"You're stupid," James repeated.

"I heard you the first time," Lily bared her teeth a little, "I was just hoping there was an explanation to go along with those words." There was a threat behind her words.

"I know you Lily Evans," James said. "You wouldn't accept money from anyone if they just offered it. You were probably planning on quitting school. And since you don't have all the required credits, you would have to get some stupid Muggle job. It would take you years to pay off this debt and you would kill yourself trying."

Lily couldn't really say anything to that since that had been her plan down to the letter. "Why do you care though?"

James pushed himself off of the wall and began walking closer to Lily. She stepped backwards, scared of the look in his eyes. He kept approaching until her back was against the wall. He put his hands on either side of her head. Lily trembled, a little scared of the way he was acting.

James bent his head down until they were eye to eye. Lily looked at his lips instead as he talked. "Because, Lily Evans, I'm completely and totally obsessed with you."

And then he kissed her.

After several seconds Lily relaxed into the kiss, running her fingers through his hair. He put one hand on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. Lily's knees felt weak as she pressed her body against James's. After about a minute, he released, giving her one last kiss.

Lily touched her lips, shell shocked, as James walked away. He turned around when he reached the corner. "I don't really care if you pay me back, Lily. The money was meant to be a gift."

He kept walking and all Lily could do was stare after him.

_**A/N**_

I know. I know. I'm so sorry. I can only offer up the lame excuse of track and family issues and boyfriend issues. (Weren't mine btw, my best friends.) But track is over. They broke up. And so I should have an actual length update up sometime in the next two weeks or so. But I hoped this one helped? (BTW thanks to the people who sent me PMs. Love you guys. It helped me finish this.

I'm not going to respond to the reviews for last chapter. I'm sorry but its been so long and plus I had to decide between getting this update up now or responding. So if it was important and you wanted a reply PLEASE put it in a review for this chapter. Even if it wasn't important. I just feel bad for not responding.

And finally. Two days after my birthday the amazing paddynprongsie nominated me for an hourglass award in the Romance Category on . Which I have always really wanted to be nominated for. Not that I'll win, but that is a really cool honor! So thank you so much!!!! This chapter mostly got finished because of you.


	22. Truth and Challenges

**Truth and Challenge**

As he turned the corner, James allowed himself a small smile. Lily had kissed him back. _She_ had kissed _him_. He would win her back. It was just a matter of time and strategy. And he had been raised from an early age to be a master at exploiting both.

"Grendel."

"Mr. Potter," the Fat Lady replied. "Welcome back." She swung open to admit him. As he walked into the common room, the entire common room fell silent. Eyes tracked his steps as he approached the stair case. James glanced over the faces before continuing to his old room. The people he wanted to talk to weren't in that room.

The door opened at the slightest touch of his hand. Once again the room fell silent when he entered. Two faces stared at him shock. One just smiled knowingly.

"You're back," Peter stated the obvious. He jumped up and walked over to James, eyes wide in surprise. "I thought it would be a little longer at least."

Remus unfolded his long legs and stood up, walking over to his friend. He held out his hand out to Peter. "I told you it would be soon."

Peter sighed and dug his hand into his pocket. He dropped several galleons into Remus's hand with a promise to pay the remainder later. Remus pocketed them before turning back to James.

"So I'm just a bet to you, Moony?"James said, anger leaking into his voice.

"Of course," Remus replied.

They stared at each other in tense silence for several seconds before breaking into mutual laughter. They grasped hands and clapped each other on the back before stepping back. "I knew you couldn't stay away, Prongs," Remus said.

"How much did that win you?" James asked. He dropped his one bag onto his bed and pulled a picture out, setting in on his nightstand. He collapsed into one of the chairs.

Remus dropped into the chair facing him, calculating the amount in his head. "Two hundred from these idiots, and around maybe four hundred from the rest of the school." A smile spread across his face as he bragged.

"I bet a week," Peter chimed in. He glanced at Sirius, as if expecting him to volunteer what his bet had been. Sirius remained silent from his position on his bed. His face was decidedly stoic. Peter shrugged and sat in a third chair. "So why are you back, anyways? Miss us too much?"

Lily clearly hadn't told them her problems. He shouldn't have expected anything else. "Yep," James answered. "I missed your ugly face so much I crossed an ocean to see it again."

Remus laughed. "For real, why are you back?" he asked.

James shrugged his shoulders. "It was the right thing to do."

Remus smiled, not believing his friend one bit. He decided to let it go. His brown eyes sparkled as he reached under his chair. "Well we have to celebrate your return." He threw James the bottle of fire whiskey and quickly pulled out three more for everyone else. The night quickly settled into a night of laughter and shared stories.

At around eleven Sirius finally got off his bed, clutching a bottle loosely around the neck. He walked quietly out the door. James watched him go. After a minute he stood up and followed, leaving Remus to finish telling his story to Peter.

"Hey," James said quietly as he stepped out into the hallway.

Sirius took another drink in reply.

"You sent the letter," James said.

Sirius inclined his head.

"And you two are over."

More of a statement than a question, but Sirius nodded anyways.

"You wanted to make sure I deserved her." James quoted what Sirius had told him the day he left.

Sirius nodded again.

James finally broke down, his face cracking. He bit his lip. "Did you ever really want her, Sirius? Were you in love with her?" James ran a hand through his tangled black hair.

Sirius thought back to a few nights ago.

"_I could really fall for you, Lily Evans," Sirius changed the topic abruptly. "You're probably perfect for me too. I never talked to anyone I hadn't known since I was a child. And then I met you and you drew me out of my cocoon." He smiled ironically. "I guess that makes me a butterfly now. And I do thank you. But the thing is, I think Remus was right. I think I was using you to replace Candice. I could save you, at least," he echoed his earlier words and once again Lily wondered what had really happened in Russia._

"_Even if I was completely over Candice, though," Sirius continued. "The way James looked at you tonight, whenever I touched you, taunting him. That boy is totally in love with you. He wasn't lying. That boy would have moved the Heavens and the Earth for you. And, I'm so sorry, Lily, I just can't do that to a friend."_

Sirius finally shook his head. "I was," he answered James. "I think we all love her, you know. She has that personalities that boys like us are attracted to. She is willing to stand up to the four of us, but at the same time, she still needs to be saved. And that girl is gorgeous too, no one can deny that."

James was visibly falling apart as Sirius answered.

"But I was never in love with her like you were," Sirius told him. "You would give everything up for her, and I'm still holding onto Candice with everything in me. She deserves better than that." He took another drink, leaning his head back with the bottle. Black hair fell back.

James paused, considering what Sirius had said. He rolled the words over in his mind. "That's the only reason why you left her? Because you're still in love with Candice?"

"No," Sirius said evenly . "I saw the way you looked at her. I couldn't do that to you, Prongs."

Surprise was evident on James's face.

Sirius smiled and offered James the bottle. James took it gratefully and took a long pull. "Good?" Sirius asked after a few minutes.

He could have been asking about the alcohol but James knew he wasn't. "Yeah," James answered, "Good."

The two boys stood in a companionable silence for a few minutes, occasionally trading the bottle back and forth between them. Both were tall and athletic looking, with black hair. They stood like they had known each other their whole lives.

"So," one boy said, "Are you going to get her back?"

James remembered her lips on his. "Yeah," he smiled, "I am."

xXx

The teachers accepted James's return with barely a blink of the eye. They handed him his books back and assigned him his old seat. He hadn't even missed enough classes to be behind. The students took a little bit longer. Most of them were disgruntled because they had lost money to Remus.

A few students, in James's opinion, had forgotten their place. One boy had actually brushed into him the in corridor. James had made him apologize before allowing him to carry James's books to class, making him late for his own. Remus had laughed and commented that there was a day when James would have simply kicked him and been done with it.

James had laughed and offered to let Remus kick him. When Remus declined, James laughed and turned to face the person walking next to him. Lily.

James and Lily never mentioned the kiss. They weren't enemies like they had been before. But neither were they dating. They circled around each other. Talking sparingly at first, and then more and more, until they finally talked at least three times a day, if not more.

They had hated each other, and they had been deeply in love. And now after all this time, they were finally learning how to be friends.

xXx

"Now what?" James asked. He bounced a small ball off the ground in front of him as he walked.

"What do you mean 'now what!?'" Lily asked with obvious frustration.

"I mean, what do we do next?" James asked with an easy smile. He tossed the ball to Lily, who snatched it easily out of the air. Its red color matched her face.

"Now we return to school," Lily answered his question in a slow voice, implying that the question itself had been dumb. Slughorn had sent them to Hogsmeade to fetch potions' supplies, not to hang out. They had been told to return immediately after they bought the ingredients.

"And you want to follow the rules like a good little commoner," James teased her.

Lily gave him a quick glance, evaluating whether he was lightly teasing or flat out insulting her. Going by his smile, she went with the former. James noticed her looking and nodded at the restaurant they were passing. "Do you remember the first time we went here together?" he asked her.

It was The Three Broomsticks. Lily nodded slightly, her eyes becoming distant. "You waited four hours for me," she whispered under her breath.

"What?" James asked, leaning closer to her.

"Nothing," Lily shook her head, sticking her hands inside her coat pockets to get them warm.

"Sure," James agreed with another easy smile. He ruffled his hair. "Did you want to grab a butterbeer?"

Lily's face suddenly froze as she read into the statement.

"Not like a date," James assured her quickly, "I'm just cold. I thought you were too."

Lily relaxed slightly. "Sure," she agreed. She followed him to the restaurant, allowing him to hold the door for her. He pulled out her chair, as well. Lily smiled as she sat down. "So polite," she teased him lightly. "What happened to the James Potter I used to know?"

James flushed slightly as he sat down across from her. "Well I could trip you and call you a name if it would make you feel better." He raised his hand to signal for a waitress. He tossed his coat down on the chair next to him.

Lily laughed and shook her vibrant red hair out of her face. "I'm okay, really," she reassured him.

James laughed with her. "Two butterbeers," he told the waitress.

"Please," Lily added.

James ignored that. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Quite positive," Lily answered. She looked at him for a few seconds and then burst into laughter again. "I have to admit you look a lot better than last time we were here. A lot less sick."

"And whose fault was that?" James reminded.

Lily held up her hands in denial. "You could have stepped inside." Their easy banter continued throughout the meal. At the end, James insisted on picking up the check. Lily would have liked to argue, but she couldn't afford to turn the offer down. She really needed to find a job.

"So what are we going to tell Slughorn?" Lily asked him.

James threw his coat on and began walking out of the restaurant. "Nothing," he answered. "I doubt he'll even ask us why it took us so long."

"Really?" Lily asked skeptically.

"Really," James answered, mocking her slightly. "You forget who I am. He wouldn't dare question me."

"Yeah," Lily snorted. "I forgot you were perfect."

James wrinkled his face. He finally decided to ignore the comment. Instead, he took his hands out of his pockets and handed Lily the thing he had been hiding since the first store.

"Oh my god, James," Lily gasped. In her hands she held a perfect crystal. She held it up in the dying sunlight and it threw out a perfect rainbow. "It's beautiful."

James blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "I just thought you would like it," he muttered. He looked at Lily's broad smile with hidden satisfaction. He stuck his hands back into his pockets and hunched his shoulders.

"I can't-" accept this, Lily was going to say.

She was interrupted by May, Crystal henchmen. "That's beautiful, Lily," she simpered.

"Yes it is," Lily tone was void of emotion. Her features were set into a determined expression.

"So are you two dating now?"

"No," Lily answered, just as emotionless. She was waiting for May to say something, waiting to punch this girl's face.

"That's what I thought." May managed to make that sound like an insult. Like Lily wasn't good enough for James and James knew that. "Anyway," she turned to face James, completely ignoring Lily now. "Did you hear Crystal is entering the Miss Witch contest?"

"Nope," James answered her stiffly, his temper as strong as ever. "Any reason I should care?"

"Because she'll win," May answered like it was obvious. "And I remember Mrs. Potter telling me once that she would love to have another Miss Witch in the family." Her voice was obviously alluding to the fact that Mrs. Potter had wanted James and Crystal to marry.

"Okay," James said. He turned, trying to end the conversation before he got even more mad.

"And, James," May called out. James half turned back towards her, acknowledging her call. "Your mother also told me that she would never want a Mudblood in the family." Her voice was sickly sweet.

Things happened quickly after that.

James's face turned murderous with rage. He reached for her wand.

May's face flashed with satisfaction.

Lily's face briefly flashed anger before she forced it back into stoic hardness. She reacted quickly, grabbing James's arm before he could let off a spell. "Did you know I'm entering that to?" she asked.

May's expression of satisfaction slipped into one of confusion. "You are?"

"Yep," Lily answered her.

James covered up his own confusion rather well. "And she'll win," he chimed in. "Because anyone I support wins."

"You're supporting her?" May asked. Her precious plan was being dashed to ruins. Lily was supposed to be humiliated now.

"Of course," James answered her.

Lily smiled. She had one final card to play. "Thank you, dear," she said. She grabbed James's hand and pulled him closer to her. She then wrapped her arms around his back and tilted her face up. When it became obvious what she wanted, James obliged her with a sweet, slow kiss. She twisted her fingers through his hair, watching May get more and more mad behind him. Finally May stomped off, looking deeply frustrated.

Lily chuckled and released James. "Thank you for going along with my plan," she said through her laughter.

James smiled. "Always happy to oblige." Once again _she_ had kissed _him_.

"Did you see how mad she looked?" Lily asked.

James nodded his head and finally began to laugh with her.

The two teenagers stood there for five minutes, simply laughing as if they had no cares in the world.

And one of them was completely in love with the other

AN

Yep I pretty much fail at updating. Love you guys.


	23. Preparation

**Preparation**

"Nope."

"Yep."

"I don't believe you."

"Okay."

"There's no way."

"Alright."

"She really said that?"

"Yep."

Remus turned back towards Lily, disbelief still evident on his face. "No," he said again.

Lily gave up answering him. Instead she turned to face Sirius. "What's the big deal with this contest thing?"

The four Marauders had commandeered the armchairs around the fire. Lily and Chase had joined them, after much instance from Remus. He had already heard James tell the story, but he had wanted Lily to confirm it, not entirely believing his friend.

Sirius gave Lily a considering look. "What do you know about it?" he asked.

Lily thought back to the conversation she and James had had. "Um, it's a contest between the three schools. And something about etiquette, Latin, and poise."

Sirius laughed at her. "Yeah, it's something like that." When he laughed, he almost looked like a little boy. The innocence radiating off his face was at odds with his grown body.

Lily shot him a look. Sirius ignored it and kept laughing. Lily turned up her nose and appealed to Remus instead.

"Did James mention Candice and Gwen were winners?"

Lily inclined her head slightly. She drew her legs up into her body, wrapping her arms around them, settling in to hear Remus's explanation.

"Well basically, the judges are looking for the most cultured girls among those who compete. There are three trials, with girls eliminated from each round. They each test the girl on a variety of subjects. Among those are etiquette, Latin, and pose. But there's also fashion, culture, social skills." He ticked the things off on his fingers. "Basically things rich girls grow up with."

"And things commoners would never know," James inputted.

Lily ignored his comment. "And this is what I agreed to compete in!? Crystal and the other girls are going to slaughter me." She threw her face into her hands, already imagining Crystal's glee when Lily was accepted in the first round.

Remus and Peter shared a look, not knowing what to tell Lily. After all, she was right. She didn't stand a chance against girls who had been raised from the cradle to excel at these things.

Sirius, instead of looking discouraged, gave Lily an amused look. "What!?' Lily finally snapped, after she noticed his gaze.

Sirius gave a light chuckle. "Lily, when has anyone ever stopped you from doing exactly what you wanted to do? These girls don't stand a chance."

Lily suddenly remembered why she had fallen in love with Sirius Black.

James jumped out of his chair, interrupting the silence that had followed Sirius's comment. "Remember, Lils, anyone I support, wins." He began walking towards the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"To get you a Miss Witch form," James called over his shoulder.

Lily sighed and tucked her legs in even tighter. Her temper had certainly gotten her into a mess this time.

* * *

Chase felt his chair being pulled back. "Move!" James commanded.

After he recovered from the initial shock of James's sudden appearance, Chase shot him a glare. "No," he refused.

"It wasn't a question," James informed him. He glared back at Chase, using his six foot plus frame to intimidate.

It took Chase all of three seconds to realize that he no longer had a choice. "Lily?" he asked, giving her a questioning look. She was seated in the chair next to him.

"What do you want, James?" Lily asked in a bored tone. One hand fingered her hair, as the other doodled in her notebook.

"To talk to you, obviously," James answered gruffly. He wasn't used to having to explain himself. When he said move people were supposed to say how far.

Lily sighed. When James got like this, there wasn't really any sane reason to expect him to be polite. "Do you mind?" she asked Chase.

Chase frowned, but obediently gathered his stuff up and vacated his seat. James grabbed it and sat down. He pulled something out of his bag and handed it to Lily.

"What's this?" James had handed her a stack of white papers. Thin black writing covered it.

"The Miss Witch form," James told her. "I told you I would get you one." He smiled like he had done something good.

Lily quickly scanned the paper.

_Name of contestant _

_Birth town_

_Spoken Languages (Native language first)_

_Measurements_

_Instrument(s) Played_

The questions continued, each one getting more and more ridiculous.

"Pre-prep school!?" Lily asked. "You mean, the witches around here went to schools before Hogwarts?" She knew that muggle-borns attended primary school, but was unaware that witches went anywhere before Hogwarts.

James nodded. "Gwen went to one. They taught her how to walk, eat, dress, speak with proper grammar…" He grabbed a quill and held it poised above the paper. "Full name?"

"Lily Anne Evans."

"Birth town?"

Lily named an obscure country town and James laughed, teasing her gently.

"Spoken Languages?"

"English," Lily told him, feeling dumb as she remembered the native language first stipulation. In her case, English was her only language.

"And…" James prompted her.

"English," Lily repeated.

James pulled his eyes off the paper to look at Lily, thinking that she was teasing. When he saw her insistent glare he sighed. "I guess that's another thing you'll have to learn before the competition. It's one month from now, by the way," he added in an offhand way. He stared at her, studying her face. Finally, he reached a conclusion and began writing.

Lily leaned in closer to read over his shoulder. Her hair brushed his shoulder. "Latin?"

James turned to look at her, enjoying the fact that his lips were just a few inches from her. "You need another language to even be considered. How did you go your entire life only speaking one?" He enjoyed watching Lily's face redden with rage. It went well with her hair.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just didn't see much need to speak Latin in England," Lily's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

James was oblivious. "Measurements?"

Lily gave him a blank look.

James sighed. "I figured you wouldn't know." He pulled a tape measure out of his pocket and tapped it once with his wand. It rose up and began wrapping itself around Lily. She squealed and jumped backwards a foot, her face red with indignation.

Four boys watched their antics from a corner. One held out money to the other.

"No way she'll win," Peter said. His eyes drifted to Crystal, holding court at the other end of the Great Hall. Beautiful girls surrounded her, each wearing over a thousand pounds worth of jewelry.

"No way she'll lose," Sirius answered.

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Lily. Every moment that she wasn't in class, she was being tutored in some useless subject. The Marauders had decided that they were supposed to help her. Remus refused to speak to her in anything but Latin; consequently, Lily avoided him whenever possible. Peter was teaching her manners, greeting her politely and not letting her leave until she responded correctly. When they ate, he would present her with a plethora of silverware and grimace until she used the correct fork with her fish. Sirius would ask her random questions involving Britain's magical history. James, of course, was the one hiring all of the tutors.

The most surprising tutor arrived a week before the competition. Gwen swept into Hogwarts, talked to the Headmaster for five minutes, and then swept out, arm in arm with Lily.

Lily was excused from all her classes for a week, as she was completely submerged in the pageant training at James's mansion. She was allowed to speak only Latin between noon and dinner, wore only dresses and high heels, and ate only ornate meals. One day, Gwen had forced her to spend five hours getting a makeover. Lily didn't realize that that was wrong with her body.

For a week she lived as James did and she absolutely hated it. The servants all called her miss and she had to stop a few from bowing to her. She felt spoiled. More concerning were the videos she had been forced to watch of previous competitions. Magic was not tested in the competition, not surprising considering how the rich didn't exactly study, but the contestants still glowed with it. They had perfect posture and seemed completely at ease in the dresses that Lily despised. She still hadn't mastered the art of not tripping while in high heels.

* * *

James arrived at his house the night before Miss Witch was scheduled to take place. Gwen had refused to let him enter prior to that. After handing off his bags to a servant, he headed towards his room. As he turned the last corner, someone ran into him, forcing him into the wall.

"Sorry, sir. I beg your pardon," James heard a voice say as he straightened his jacket. "Will you please forgive me?"

James lifted his slowly, not believing the image that went with that voice. Or the words that it spoke, for that matter. "Lily!?"

The girl raised her head. She had been taught that not meeting someone's eyes was a sign of modesty. She was clothed in a pale rose cream dress, with heels to match. It set off her newly styled hair and makeup brought out her beautiful eyes.

"Oh, James," Lily said in a voice that was much closer to her own. "Are you going to make me act proper?" She was attempting to sound defiant but it came out much closer to exasperated acceptance.

James laughed as he looked at the woman in front of him. "Of course not. How are your lessons going? Are you all prepared for the competition?"

Lily fidgeted with something that she was holding behind her back. "Won-wonderful," she stuttered.

James narrowed his eyes. Too fast for Lily to avoid, he reached around her and yanked her suitcase out of her hands. Lily dropped her eyes to the ground again. "You were planning on leaving?" James said coldly. "I never knew you were such a quitter."

Lily blushed. "I tried James, but you know how the competition is going to go. Christina just arrived from the United States, and everyone is saying that she is going to win. And even if she doesn't, I'm no match for these girls. One week of living here doesn't erase seventeen years of living in an apartment."

James gave her a hard look. "You honestly believe that?"

Lily nodded her head.

James stepped out of her path, motioning with one arm. "Fine, leave then. I'll tell everyone that Lily Evans quit. That she was scared of some rich girl."

He was baiting her. Lily knew it. She rose to it anyway. "I'm not scared of some little spoiled _princess_. I just don't want to embarrass you and Gwen tomorrow."

"You could never embarrass me, Lily," James told her.

Lily scoffed at that. "I'm not going to win, so I shouldn't bother entering."

"Lily Evans, you can do anything you want to. When did you stop believing that?"

Lily blushed again, not answering him.

"Besides you took on the Marauders," James added. "What are these girls to that?"

Lily laughed at the cockiness in James's voice. "Fine," she said, smiling, "I'll do it."

James smiled back and swept her into a hug. He rested his chin on her head, still taller even though she was in heels. Lily hesitantly returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his torso. "You better win, though," James whispered, "with the Potter name behind you and everything."

Lily smacked him and stepped backwards. "So that's the only reason why you care," she teased him.

"Of course," James answered, his regular smirk back in place. He absently ruffled his hair. "Sleep in my room tonight?"

"What?" Lily asked. She was offended at him question. Did he think she owed him _that_!? Her face began to redden as she got more and more angry.

James picked up a set of gobstones that had been sitting on a small table next to them. "We can play."

Appeased, Lily smiled and inclined her head. "You're going to lose, Potter," she challenged him.

"To you?" James laughed. "Never!"

Lily smirked as she followed James to his bedroom. "I don't know, some boy just told me I can do anything I want to."

"You can beat everyone but a Potter," James corrected her. He held the door open for her.

Lily plopped down on his bed looking around. James's bedroom was the size of her family's apartment. It had several other rooms connected to it as well. His bed was king size, with a gold blanket covering it. The walls were covered with a strange mix of expensive artwork and pictures of the Marauders with Gwen and Candice. Those pictures were the only personal touches in the room. James had a desk with his family crest burned into it. Papers were arranged in neat piles on it and pictures of famous men were on the top. Other than that, the room was empty. It lacked the usual clutter a teenage boy's room acquired. Lily felt a pang of sympathy for the teenager in front of her, who obviously never had much of a childhood.

"We'll see," Lily answered him.

James plopped down on the bed next to her. "Your move."

They played earnestly, well into the night. At some point, Lily changed into a pair of James's sweats and a t-shirt. It was immensely more comfortable than her dress. The clothes swallowed her whole, but James didn't laugh. He merely smiled and made the next move. They fell asleep on the bed, the game abandoned at the foot. In the night, they turned to face each other, unconscious smiles decorating their faces. Gwen found them like that in the morning.

* * *

"So this is where it takes place?" Lily gulped.

James nodded, looking at the mansion in front of him. It belonged to one of his dad's business partners. He had been here many times before. He raised a hand in greeting to the other Marauders as they gathered around him.

Lily managed a weak hello. Gwen had coerced her into a dark forest green dress, with heels that matched the shade perfectly. Her makeup had taken several professionals an hour and her hair had a light curl at the bottom that framed her face perfectly. She was gorgeous and everyone knew it but her.

"You look-" Remus began.

"Don't even say it," James cut him off, "or she'll rip your throat out." Remus chuckled but didn't finish his sentence.

"Oh, I almost forgot," James said. He pulled a silver chain out of his pocket. A small diamond heart dangled on the end. Lily held up her hair in reflex as James put it around her neck. She reverently touched it as it lay against her pale skin. "Perfect," James said, looking at Lily and not the necklace.

"Thank you," Lily whispered.

"Bet you never owned anything that expensive in your life before," James smirked, breaking the moment.

Lily blushed in anger, not even bothering to reply. James was James. That was never going to change.

"All contestants to the stage!" A voice came booming out of nowhere.

"Knock 'em dead," Peter told her.

"Good luck."

"Those girls don't have a chance," Sirius grasped her hand lightly for support before dropping it.

James smiled, meeting Lily's frightened gaze. "Be yourself, Lily Evans, and you cannot lose."

* * *

**AN**

**Snow day! Yay! So does anyone want to be my beta? Because I haven't talked to my old one in so long…**

**Reviews that asked questions: **

**PentanglePrince: **Yes I have, but unfortunately it came out at a really bad time between me and my boy so I hated it. Jacob is HOT though. Lol. **Tothenine**s: yes! Lol. I got that image in my head and burst out laughing**. Paddynprongsie**: James is in love with Lily. Lily is still in love with Sirius. She loves James, but she isn't completely IN love with him yet. But she gets there. Eventually. **. **don't want to spoil. But Rosemary comes back. Soon!

And for all of you who have looked at Who's reviews: thanks to sopleaza and xXReesesXx for the support. Honestly, the reviews made me laugh. I think that Who thinks I care if my chapters are good and grammatically correct. I just like to write. Although, again. I could really use a beta. And one who would be willing to re do this chapter. Quickly.

Oh, and yes this is not canon.

Anyway, love you guys for reviewing! Sorry I couldn't answer all of them but then I wouldn't have time to update. But really, you guys are the reasons why I write.


	24. Miss Witch

Miss Witch

"All contestants to the stage," the announcer said again. Lily blushed as she realized she was the contestant they were waiting for. Everyone else was already arranged in a line behind him. She ducked her head and joined them, standing next to a pretty blonde from Beauxbaton. Besides Lily, there were eight other contestants on stage; three from both schools and three that had been home schooled. Although, Lily thought back to her own tutors, home school took on a whole new meaning among the rich.

The announcer gave Lily a patronizing smile as she stepped up on stage. He turned to face his audience. "I am pleased to presents this year's Miss Witch contestants! May the most magical girl win!" His voice echoed in the hall, supplemented by a charm. The crowd burst into applause.

"It is my honor to present this year's illustrious judges. We have Miss Elente, a famous designer from London." A petite brunette stood up, dressed in a classic suit.

"I see at least two girls wearing one of her designs," Remus whispered to James.

"Lily doesn't need to do something that shameless to win," James answered, his voice full of confidence.

Remus laughed and leaned back in his seat.

"Mr. Hignet from New York City!' A slim man raised one hand in the air, nodding his head at the crowd. His blonde hair just brushed the tip of his shoulders and a single dark brown strip permeated it. His suit was all black with a skinny tie.

"And finally, Miss Reynold, also from London." This judge was wearing a flowing, green dress.

The announcer waited for the applause to die down and then began to announce the contestants. Crystal was announced second. She sparkled in a silver gown with a matching bracelet. Lily quickly stopped trying to remember all their names. Only two others really stood out. Emma Alexander, the only one with short hair. Lily immediately liked her because she was different. And Christina Clay. She was classically beautifully, with a heart-shaped face and perfect features. She held herself like she was of royal blood and she was easily the prettiest girl on the stage. "And Lily Evans, from Hogwarts." Lily squeaked. She had been so caught up in looking at the other contestants that she had stopped paying attention to the announcer. Remus and Peter laughed in the audience, thoroughly amused by her expression. James ground his teeth. The other contestants had looked graceful; Lily merely appeared scared.

"A true Miss Witch is beautiful in every aspect, including the way in which she dresses and carries herself. The contestants will have ten minutes in which to select their own clothes from a selection in which will be provided. The judges will then give them all points. The three contestants with the lowest scores will be eliminated from the contest. Good luck!" The contestants began to walk off the stage. Lily hesitated slightly before following them. All of her earlier confidence had disappeared.

Remus turned to face the Marauders next to him. "That girl won't even recognize the designers' names, let alone know which ones to mix and match."

Peter nodded his agreement. "Easy money. Sorry, Sirius."

Sirius ignored them. He was too busy paying attention to his friend who had just burst out of his seat.

"One hundred thousand Euros, Lily. That's what you owe me," James shouted loud enough that everyone in the room could hear him.

Some color finally to Lily's white face. She was turning red with anger. "I'll get you your money, Potter," she mouthed. She walked with a new determined step.

James sat back down in his chair, satisfied. "She'll do fine," he said confidently, running his hand through his hair.

Sirius laughed. "She always does perform better when she's mad. Good job, Prongs."

James just smirked in response.

xXx

In the little side room, Lily was getting even more irriatated. The other girls were running around, picking up shirts with one hand and throwing skirts away with the other. She got shoved out of the way more than once. "Five minutes left," a lady in the corner announced.

Lily gritted her teeth and started looking at the clothes more seriously. This was such a stupid contest. Since when were clothes that important! They should be asking her how she helped others or something along that line. She grabbed three shirts, rejecting two of them because they were pink. The final one she forced over her head, barely pausing to look at it. She was doomed anyways. She spotted skirts in another section of the room and scooped up some heels on her way over there. She realized her mistake when she tried to put the full length skirt on while wearing the heels.

_RIIIPPPP_

"Two minutes left."

Lily cursed underneath her breath. She didn't have time to find another skirt. She couldn't see anymore laying around. She surveyed the damage. It was a black skirt, classically elegant before she had ripped it. The rip in question was down the seam of the skirt, reaching from the bottom up to knee level. Lily reached down and grabbed the skirt, biting her lip as she ripped it further.

xXx

"Elyssa Silverman." A tall brunette walked out, dressed in a Prada dress.

The judges wrote down their scores, each saying a few words about her selection.

"Christina Clay!" Christina stepped out, owning the stage the second she stepped foot upon it. Unlike the others, she had mixed and matched two designers. She wore a stunning pink blouse, with a jacket thrown over it. She walked across the stage, entirely comfortable in her outfit and smiling at the crowd.

"Gorgeous!" Miss Reynold said. "You look as though you were born to be in heels and on a stage." The other two judges agreed with her, commenting on her originality.

"It looks like she stepped out of a fashion magazine," Peter murmured. Remus inclined his head in agreement. They watched as girl after girl stepped out on stage, most of them wearing unoriginal outfits such as Elyssa had chosen.

"Lily Evans!"

James sat up in his seat, suddenly attentive. He absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair as he waited.

"What is she wearing!" Remus gasped.

Lily walked out on stage, faking confidence. After several quick attempts and with the help of a pair of scissors she had found, she had managed to make a slit in the skirt. Because of the several failed attempts, the slit extended all the way up her thigh. Her shirt was tight, clinging to her body. The dark green brought out her eyes. She had thrown a jacket over the ensemble. Not a single thing had been made by the same designer.

"I think she ripped it. There is no way that skirt came like that." Peter said.

Remus's mouth dropped open. "That skirt was designed by Mr. Hignet. As in the judge."

Sirius laughed. He crossed and looked up at Lily with an amused expression. "Only Lily would take a design made by one of the judges and change it."

"Hignet is going to be mad." Remus frowned.

Indeed, Hignet was standing up. He surveyed Lily's entire outfit, bringing his hand up to cup his chin. "Absolutely brilliant!" He announced. His mouth curved into a wide smile as he brought his hands together to applaud her choice.

Eyes widened in the audience.

"Amazing, Miss Evans. The contest was to show off your beauty, not the beauty of the designers. I love what you did with my piece. You made it yours. You own it. You were the only person to get the point of the contest. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant."

The other judges were slower to agree. Elente obviously disliked the change. She merely murmured a few words of disapproval before sitting back down.

The announcer stood stunned, not quite comprehending what had just happened. Hignet cast him an expectant look. "We will have a short break while the judges calculate the results. Then we will proceed to the next round," the announcer quickly stammered out. "Congratulations to all of the contestants. I don't know how the judges will manage to pick between such lovely ladies. You are free to socialize until called back upon stage." He stepped off the stage and was quickly joined by an older man. They walked out of the room together, followed by the judges.

"I don't believe it," Peter said stunned. "How could he like that? You could still see the ragged edges of the fabric. She must have ripped it."

Remus looked over Peter's head. "So the conquering lady returns," he said, standing up as Lily walked over to them. He gestured at his chair, obviously wanting her to sit.

Lily offered a weak smile in return and gratefully collapsed into the chair. Remus signaled to an usher for another.

"Interesting selection, Lily," Sirius said. He scooted his chair forward slightly so he could better see her.

James reddened as Lily crossed her legs, revealing most of her thigh. "You-you looked gorgeous, Lils," he stammered out.

"What?" Lily looked up at him. She followed his eyes. "Oh." She uncrossed her legs.

"And you impressed the Hignet at least," Remus pointed out.

Lily smiled. "Hopefully that will be enough."

They all sat in silence for a few moments, realizing the truth of that statement. They all knew her continuing presence in the competition depended on whether or not Hignet could convince Elente to let Lily stay. They watched the replay of the contestants' outfits on a screen.

"Of course you only did good because I helped you," James said. "I'm still waiting on a thank you."

"Wh-wh-what?" Lily stuttered.

"A thank you," James repeated slowly as if he were speaking to a little kid.

Lily's face began turning red. Both of her hands curled up into fists. "You brat!" She stood up and stomped away. "I'm going to go change back into my dress," she called over her shoulder.

"You're welcome," James called back.

Lily muttered something incomprehensible and kept walking.

"You guys can't go a full hour without arguing," Remus complained. He reclaimed his chair next to James and settled into it.

James shrugged his shoulders, not caring. "She really did only win because I gave her confidence."

Remus shook his head, not bothering to answer.

xXx

"The final contest will test the contestants' grace even in the most stressful of situations," the announcer said.

Lily had barely been included in the finalist who had passed the first round. Her score had been only 0.5 points higher than Emma Alexander's, one of the three contestants sent home. Hignet had given her a 9.7 while Elente had given her a 1. The second round had been even closer. The contestants had been asked to demonstrate their musical instrument. Most had played stunning pieces on a piano. Christiana had amazed the audience with a piece on the violin. Lily, who had never touched an instrument in her life, had simply sung. Luckily, Hignet had once again decided that she was original and that her song was heartbreaking and had passed her into the next round.

There were now two people left in the Miss Witch contest: Lily, of course, and Christiana Clay.

"The contestants will be left with a room full of children. They will be required to entertain the children for a half hour. The children will then be the judges. They, not our esteemed panel of judges, will decide who made most entertaining playmate." The announcer held his arm out, gesturing for Lily and Christina to exit the stage.

"Auditioning them for motherhood," Sirius murmured in the audience.

Peter snorted. "Seeing which one will make the better bride."

Remus stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth. "GO LILY!" He clapped his hands loudly and shouted again.

The rest of the audience was dead silent.

Lily bit her lip to keep from laughing as she exited the room. She couldn't stop herself from smiling though. She nervously tucked her hair behind one ear, hoping the announcer wouldn't glare at her because of Remus.

"Your friends really care about you, don't they?" Christina asked her. She turned to look at Lily, her blue eyes focusing on her intently. "I heard them cheering for you earlier as well."

"Yeah," Lily smiled. "They can be a little thoughtless sometimes, but they've been really supportive. Well, for the most part," she amended, thinking of how Peter had bet against her.

"I knew them once, a long time ago. Are the four of them still inseparable?" She asked.

Lily nodded her head. "Pretty much."

"It must be nice, having such good friends," Christina said wistfully.

Lily didn't know what to say in response to that. She was saved from having to answer by their arrival at the room with the children. "Good luck," the announcer said as he opened the door.

Christina went through the door first, leaving Lily to follow behind her. "Hi, I'm Christina Clay. Who wants to sing?" Christina asked with a bright smile. She led a group of cheering children over to the piano where she promptly began singing some popular kids' songs.

_Great, now what? _Lily thought. She looked at the room in front of her. It had the piano on one side, next to a bookcase. On the other side sat a box of toys, most of them toys her mother hadn't been able to afford to buy for her.

"Is she broken?" Lily heard a little boy say.

"Maybe." This voice sounded bored.

Lily turned her head and saw a group of four six-year-old boys staring at her. The one in front was the one who had spoken first. He had a mop of curly black hair and a smug, arrogant expression that made him seem older. "She looks poor. I bet she's useless."

"Useless!" Lily couldn't help herself. "I bet you're the useless one. Can you even do a cartwheel?" When the boy didn't answer Lily smirked. She walked over to an empty section of the room and promptly did a cartwheel, still wearing the same green dress she had started out the competition in.

"Well I can do a somersault," the little boy bragged. He walked over to Lily and demonstrated.

Lily let out a breath. "So not impressive," she said. "I could do that when I was five." She spied something in the box of toys and went over to investigate. She rummaged in the box and emerged with a pogo stick. "Bet you can't do this."

"What is it?" One of the other boys spoke up. He was adorable, with sandy hair and brown eyes.

"A pogo stick," Lily answered, not at all surprised that they didn't know. It didn't seem like a toy that rich boys would use very much. "You jump on it." She bounced a few times, demonstrating what the toy was used for. Then she handed it off to the leader. He managed one bounce before he fell off. The other black-headed kid laughed at him.

"Oh yeah, Devin, let's see you do better," the kid said defiantly, sticking out his chin. His face was blushing red with embarrassment. Lily was suddenly reminded of James whenever he couldn't do something. She suddenly realized what these four boys had reminded her of: they were little Marauders.

Devin took the pogo stick and managed to stay on it for two bounces. The other kids laughed. He handed it off to another one of his friends, encouraging him to try. Lily left them at it as she went rummaging in the toy box again. She ignored the fancy, electronic toys, instead looking for toys she had played with as a child. A jump rope caught her eye. She pulled it out of the pile and looked at the four boys. They had since been joined by three other children, all anxious to try the pogo stick. They were all far too short to hold the other end of the jump rope.

Lily got up and walked across the room, flanked by the four boys. "Hey, Christina, you want to jump rope with us?"

Christina looked at the kids in front of her. She had been reading them a story, but had increasingly been losing their attention. They all had wondered what could keep Michael and the other three so entertained. "Sure," she smiled. "Sounds like fun. I used to be quite good at it when I was a kid, but I'm afraid I haven't tried since I was little."

"That's okay. It's like riding a bike, you never forget how," Lily answered. She tossed one end of the rope to Christina. They were soon singing chants and teaching the kids how to jump rope. Lily got so absorbed in it that she lost track of time. It was a complete surprise when the announcer walked back into the room. "Time to go," he said.

The kids groaned. "Do we have to?" Michael asked. "We're having fun."

"I'm afraid you have to," the announcer told him.

Michael groaned. "Fine. But we're going to play again sometime. I will beat you at this," he told Lily.

Lily laughed as the six-year-old challenged her. "I wouldn't expect anything less." She and Christina gathered up the kids, leading them up to the now familiar stage. The twenty-one kids looked tiny up in front of the audience.

"So after half an hour of playtime, it is time for our twenty-one judges to choose the future Miss Witch!" the announcer said. He turned expectantly to the children behind him.

The children looked from Christina to Lily, obviously not knowing who to choose. Michael pushed his way to the front. "We're not going to choose!" he said, planting his feet. "And you can't make us! We had fun with both of them." He crossed his arms and glared at the announcer, almost daring him to say something.

The announcer just stood there, obviously not knowing what to do with the six-year-old who was still glaring at him. The older man from earlier rushed onto the stage and whispered into the announcer's ear. The announcer asked a question and the older man shook his head before walking off the stage. "Well ladies and gentlemen, in the event of a tie the contest become a matter of points. I am pleased to announce that this year's Miss Witch is Christina Clay!"

The applause from the audience was deafening. Christina smiled modestly as she was crowned.

The announcer waited for the noise to die down before speaking again. "Never before has there been a tie in the final round. As a result, this year we are giving out a special prize. Miss Evans will be named Runner Up and given ten thousand Euros as a prize."

The applause for Lily was even louder than it had been for Christina. Lily herself was speechless. Christina turned to her, a smile upon her lips. "Congratulations, Lily. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Lily answered, too stunned to answer her properly. Christina was swarmed by photographers before she could say anything else to Lily. Lily stumbled off the stage to find the Marauders.

"Congratulations, Lily!" Sirius exclaimed. He swept her up in a hug and she reached them. "You did amazing."

"And they invented a whole next award just for you. Pretty impressive," Remus said.

"You should have won," James said. "But I guess second place isn't too embarrassing." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

Remus punched him. "Just say congratulations, you idiot."

"Congratulations," James recited dutifully.

"Well, we are sorry to abandon you, but we have a party in your honor to throw," Peter said with a smile. "James, distract her for a half hour and then bring her to the pub." On that note, the other three Marauders took off, leaving the two of them alone.

"Want to walk outside?" Lily asked. "I'm getting kind of cramped in here."

James nodded, offering her his hand. He guided her through the mansion and out to a pretty little garden. They walked in silence for a few moments, admiring the flowers. "You really did do an amazing job," James said after a while.

"Thank you," Lily said. She blushed a little. "I still can't believe I finished second. I was sure I was going to lose after I ripped that skirt by accident."

"So it was an accident!" James crowed. "You did look pretty silly up there." He laughed, remembering how Hignet had raved about her originality. "And it was obvious that you had no idea how to play an instrument. You sounded pretty good singing, though. Did you ever take lessons?"

"No," Lily answered. "It's just something we did in my family. We all liked to sing."

They walked further down the path before Lily stopped. She turned to face James. "James, I didn't win the full hundred thousand."

"Tell you what," James said. He took a step closer to her. Their bodies were mere inches apart. "Tomorrow is Christmas." He raised one hand, resting it lightly on her cheek. "If you spend the day with me, I'll consider your debt paid in full." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss. Lily stiffened in surprise, before relaxing into the kiss. After several seconds he released her and stepped back. He looked at her and smiled before turning around and walking back the way they had come. "Come on, we had better get to that party before they drink all the alcohol."

Lily didn't know what to think. She traced her lips with one finger.

"Coming."

**A/N**

**Heehee. Love you guys! Especially the reviews : )**


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